Onegai, Megami–Sama!
by MusedMoose
Summary: Onegai Teacher crossover. When Matagu dials a wrong number and Peorth answers, he knows what his wish is. But things almost never go as they're supposed to, especially around goddesses, demons, and halfaliens. Complete!
1. Part 1:1: Yet Another Wrong Number

Standard opening disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, places, settings, or so forth contained in this story. Attempting to sue me will result in, well, not much, so it wouldn't be worth it.

Author's Continuity-Type Note: this story takes place after the 13th episode of Onegai Teacher and somewhere around the volume "Hand In Hand" in the Oh! My Goddess manga. If you don't read the manga, assume it takes place after the movie. If you're not familiar with the characters of Peorth and Mara, there are many OMG sites that can fill you in. Also, while this story does draw on a few bits from Onegai Twins, it otherwise takes place completely outside of that series's continuity, mostly because I think it's a complete and total shame what they did to Matagu. :mutter: Now, enough blather, let's get started!

Onegai, Megami-Sama!

Part 1-1: Yet Another Wrong Number

Matagu Shido sighed and leaned back from his telescope, then stared up at the night sky. He'd finally figured out how to attach his camera to the scope, but there hadn't been anything worth taking a picture of tonight. He was starting to wonder if he'd ever actually find anything, or if he was just chasing a really bizarre dream, even if it was the only one he had.

Well, maybe not the only one, he admitted to himself. He thought back to the time he'd claimed that as his dream, with Kei and Hyosuke and the others, when they'd all gathered to watch Yamada's jinriki competition. He couldn't help smiling at the memory. He always had good times with his friends, that never changed, but it sometimes felt like nothing else in his life did either . . . he still felt lonely. Maybe that was why he kept looking up at the sky . . . maybe he was still looking for something he couldn't find anywhere else.

With a laugh, he stood and walked back into his house. If he was looking for someone, wasn't he looking in all the wrong directions? A girl wasn't going to come out of the sky for him, that was ridiculous. Things like that never happened in real life. He shook his head, and stretched.

"Better call Kei to see about tomorrow," he said to himself, reaching for the phone. He knew getting together with his friends would make him feel better, it always did. He picked up the phone and dialed the familiar number, then was greeted by a voice that really, really couldn't have been Kei.

"Yes, yes, yes, my dear! This is the Earth Assistance Hotline, and I have been waiting for your call!"

Matagu nearly dropped the phone, and fumbled it around for a bit before stammering, "What? I think I have the wrong--"

The voice on the other end had a hint of an accent he couldn't quite place, but whoever she was, she seemed insistent. "But no, you've dialed a very right number, the best! I'll be there in just a moment, and I'll take care of you!"

"But--" The line went dead, and Matagu blinked a few times as he tried to wrap his head around what he'd just heard. He was about to pass it off as some random weirdo when something strange happened.

His telescope, out on the back balcony, swivelled on its tripod and pointed into the room. For a moment, Matagu thought that he really should put it upright again, but then a blue glow burst to life around the lens of the camera attached to the back. Matagu's mouth fell open, and he just stood there, stunned.

A beam of blue light shined through the telescope, out of the lens, and onto the ceiling, where it cast a flickering circle. As Matagu watched, a pair of loose-topped boots descended out of the circle, followed by a pair of well-formed legs, followed still by the rest of one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen.

She was nearly as tall as him, and had a figure he'd thought only existed in anime or pictures of idols and models. She was wearing something like a two-piece black swimsuit but with an odd cut to it, and she had some other kind of garment about herself, some kind of wide leather straps that went around her shoulders and waist. She also wore a thin metal collar that didn't seem to have any way to put it on or take it off, and long earrings with some kind of bead at the end. Soft brown gloves with strange buckles across the back completed her unusual ensemble. Her hair was dark red-brown, and most of it was about jaw-length, though it was longer at the front and she had a single very long ponytail at the back. She looked at him and smiled, and Matagu felt his knees go weak - she was utterly beautiful, in a way that seemed almost unearthly. He then noticed she had some odd facial markings, a diamond on her forehead and similar ones under her eyes.

The woman - or whatever she was, Matagu wasn't quite sure what to call someone who came out of a light from his telescope - swept her arms in his direction, and a cloud of rose petals flew about the room, despite there not being any wind. "Good evening!" she said, her voice somehow bright and dusky at the same time. "Thank you for calling the very best of the Earth Assistance Hotline. I am Goddess First Class, Type Two Unlimited . . . Peorth!"

In all the time he'd spent watching the sky, hoping to catch sight of an alien or some otherworldly being, Matagu had often wondered just how he'd react if he actually met one. Now that one was standing before him, his response was somewhat less than he'd hoped for.

Matagu fainted.

* * *

Somewhere across Japan, a lone cloaked figure was sitting on the top of a telephone pole, holding a strange device with far too many antennas on its lap. The figure was cursing under its breath, and holding a single headphone to its ear.

"Can't get anything tonight," it muttered. "How am I supposed to hear someone's darkest desires with all this interference - wait." Leaning forward over the device, the figure adjusted a few dials. A moment later, its eyes opened wide at what it heard.

"Hmmph. That's not supposed to happen."

The figure grinned, then began laughing madly. "This ought to be fun," it cackled. "Whoever you are, little goddess, you're in for it now. . . ."

* * *

Matagu awoke to find his head pillowed on something soft. He mumbled, wondering what had happened and why he'd fallen asleep in the middle of the living room with the light on, and if that was why he'd had such a strange dream.

"Ah, good, cheri. I was wondering how much longer you'd be out, I was tempted to use a spell. It's not nice to keep one such as I waiting."

Matagu turned over just enough to realize that he hadn't been dreaming, there really was a beautiful woman here, and he'd been sleeping in her lap. This made it very easy to panic.

He rolled and leaped to his feet as quickly as he could, breathing very hard for reasons he couldn't quite place, and stared at the woman who was kneeling on his floor. He pointed at her, and started to say something, but nothing came out.

"Let me guess," she said softly. "You're staggered by my presence? In awe that you have been so blessed?" She slowly started to rise to her feet, and took a step toward him. Matagu took a step back. "Well, I can't say I blame you, but you do deserve it."

Somehow, thought found its way through Matagu's panic long enough for him to say "What?"

"Oh!" she said, putting a hand to her forehead and posing dramatically, throwing her other hand out in his direction. "You swooned so quickly, I hadn't the time to explain myself. So sorry." She continued walking toward him, and he kept stepping back, until he ran into the wall. She paused, and put a finger to her chin. "You know, dear boy, most of the mortals I've come to were considerably more grateful than you're being."

"I . . . gah. . . ." Matagu said.

Peorth sighed. "I see, you're going to be one of the difficult ones. Well, no sense in this taking any longer than it has to. Sit!" she ordered, waving her hand at him.

Matagu slid down the wall to the floor and sat, never taking his eyes off of Peorth. He'd never seen anyone who could compare to her - even Mizuho-sensei was nowhere near this beautiful. And unlike his teacher, whom he could actually talk to, this woman was making it difficult for him to even think.

Peorth sat down in front of him and folded her legs to one side, then leaned in close. Matagu couldn't help blushing, and she smiled at that, which only made it worse. "It's very simple, cheri. I am a goddess, no matter how hard you're finding that to believe. You've been deemed worthy by the Earth Assistance Hotline, and that's why I am here." She leaned closer, and Matagu could feel her breath on his face. "To grant you one wish," she whispered. "Anything you want."

Matagu swallowed hard, and tried three times to say something before he managed to get an entire sentence out. "A wish?" It wasn't much of a sentence, but it was all he could do. "I get a wish?"

"Oui," Peorth said. "Just one wish, but anything you want. And you will get what you want, of course. I'm known for only the very best of service." She smiled again, her eyes bright, and Matagu felt himself start to sweat.

"Okay," he said, "one wish. I get to think about it first, right?"

"Oh, of course!" Peorth leaned back, and posed with her hand on her forehead again. Despite his pounding heart, Matagu couldn't help chuckling. "I would never be so cruel as to demand you wish for the first thing to come to mind! It might not be worth it, and that's just not the kind of service I provide."

Matagu briefly wondered just what kind of service she did provide, then winced as she squinted at him.

"You're cute for a mortal," she said, sounding only a touch upset, "but don't push it."

Part of his mind reeled at what she'd just said. Most girls hardly ever looked at him, and here a goddess was saying calling him cute! He did his best to push that aside, and instead asked, "You can read my mind?" When she nodded, he asked, "So how come you don't already know what I'd wish for?"

"Ah." Peorth held up her hand, and a rose appeared in it. "Because your wish, cheri, must be your heart's true desire. Nothing less will do."

"R-right," Matagu stammered. He took a few deep breaths. His heart's desire . . . to meet an alien? No, no, that was just a silly dream, and besides, an alien could be anything. He wondered if he could put off his wish for a day or three so he could spend some more time with the goddess, but then realized he probably wouldn't be able to handle spending much more time with her. His heart would probably burst. So what was his desire?

Mizuho. To be able to confess his feelings for her, and to have her return them. . . . Okay, maybe that wasn't really the best thing. He didn't want to force feelings on her, that wouldn't be right. But maybe if they could just spend some real time together, outside of the classroom . . . perfect! He'd wish for a date, a real date, with Mizuho. That should be enough to get started.

"You've made a decision?" Peorth asked. Matagu looked at her and gulped. She'd rolled onto her stomach, and was laying with her chin resting on her hands, her legs stretched out behind her.

For an instant, he almost changed his wish.

Matagu took a deep breath and nodded, and Peorth stood, holding her head high. The diamond on her forehead started to glow bright blue. "Then name your heart's desire!" she shouted.

Matagu steeled himself, and said, "I wish--" 

* * *

"Got you!"

The cloaked figure twisted three dials at once on the box it held, and an arc of blue energy crackled from somewhere off in the distance toward the telephone pole, where the box absorbed it all. The figure cackled again, and rubbed its dark-skinned hands together. "Heh heh . . . I knew it'd be worth it to prepare that, just in case! And now. . . ."

Dark hands sped over the row of dials, twisting them all at once in the opposite direction, and finally flipping a lever from one side of the box to another.

". . . the switch!"

The box glowed blue and orange, then puffed out a cloud of bright purple and yellow smoke, and an instant later it started to glow blue. The figure grimaced, then whacked the box with its hand. The box let out a long beep, then went silent.

"Damn. That didn't work as planned."

The figure raised its hands high, tracing the paths of holy energy in the air, trying to see if its latest manipulation had succeeded before everything went bad. A moment later, it howled to the night sky, and thunder boomed on the horizon.

"Not quite what I expected, but it'll more than do. Hah!" The figure whipped its hood back, revealing a head of long, wavy white hair and a darkly sinister face complete with two long chevron-like marks on her forehead.

Mara, Demon First Class, was pleased.

* * *

"-for a date with--"

Peorth threw her head back and screamed. The holy light that had been building around her was gone, and her eyes were wide open, as though she'd been badly hurt. She quivered where she stood, then collapsed to the floor.

Somehow, Matagu knew this wasn't part of the standard process.

He knelt at her side and gingerly reached out to her, giving her shoulder a gentle shake. "Um . . . goddess? Peorth?" Despite the situation, he couldn't help noticing how warm and soft her skin was. He felt himself start to blush again.

"Oooooh. . . ." Peorth stirred, and blinked a few times as she looked up at him. "Matagu," she whispered. "What happened? I was . . . I can't--" She gasped and sat up all at once, clutching at his arm. He was too startled to even think about pulling away.

"You were giving me my wish, I think," he said. "You'd started to glow, and then you screamed." It wasn't much of an explanation, he knew, but it was hard to think with her holding onto him like that. He really couldn't say that he minded, though.

"The Almighty . . . I can't. . . ." Peorth leaped to her feet, and glared down at the stunned Matagu. "The phone! Where's the phone!"

Matagu blinked, and pointed to the phone, which was on the shelf right next to him.

Peorth leaned over him and grabbed the phone, and was about to dial when she paused. She hung up the receiver, then picked it up again, but didn't dial anything. After a third try, she let the receiver drop and fell to her knees. A moment later, Matagu thought he heard her starting to cry.

"Peorth?" He moved over to her side, unsure of what to do. "What's wrong?"

She turned to look at him, tears brimming in her eyes. Matagu felt his heart lurch.

"I can't remember the number," Peorth whispered. "I can't call the Almighty. I can't--" She held up her hand, but nothing happened. "My connection with Yggdrasil is gone."

"Yggdrasil?" Matagu asked, more out of sudden confusion than anything else.

"Heaven's computer, of course," she said, "it's how we exist. How something like this could have happened to me, I don't know." She sighed, then began to look determined. "Don't worry, dear boy. You'll still get your wish."

Matagu hadn't really been worried about that as much as he'd been worried about her, but he nodded anyway. "Are you going to be all right? Can I help you with anything?"

"So sweet of you to offer," Peorth said with another smile. "I know someone who might be able to help me, but even I can't get to her myself in this state. I can still sense where she is, though. Do you have a car?"

Matagu leaned back on his heels. "I don't, but I'm sure someone I know does. . . ." He thought for a moment, then remembered the break he and his friends had taken at the ocean, months ago. "Ah!"

"You have it?" Peorth asked, leaning forward eagerly and almost making Matagu stumble backwards.

"I think so," he managed after a second. "One of my teachers, Mizuho-sensei, she has a car. She's really nice, I'm sure she'd help us."

"Ah, of course," Peorth said, giving him a taunting smile. "The one you were going to wish to date."

Matagu gulped. "You - you knew?"

"Oui, of course, dear boy," she said. "I am a goddess, I knew your wish as soon as you did."

"O-of course," Matagu stammered. This was going to be awkward. He'd wanted to ask for a date with Mizuho, and now they were going to ask her for something very different. . . . He shrugged. At least he'd get to spend some time with her. And with Peorth. This was looking to be a pretty good night.

"So, we can leave right now, yes?" Peorth asked as she stood.

Matagu looked her over as he also stood. She didn't seem to mind, and of course neither did he, but he also realized something. "It's pretty late, so we should probably wait until morning. And if you're going out in public . . . I think we need to find you some other clothes." He paused, then gulped. "But you're too tall for anything of my mom's, and my dad's taller than me. . . ."

Peorth stepped up close to him, just short of touching her nose to his chin. "Then I'll have to borrow something of yours, oui?"

* * *

The next morning, in an apartment on the other side of town, Kei Kusanagi woke up alone, stretched, and yawned. Mizuho must already be awake, he thought, she usually was. He pulled on his clothes and stepped out into the hallway.

"Good morning, Kei-san!"

Kei paused. The voice was Mizuho's, he was almost sure of it, but she never called him 'Kei-san.' He continued toward the kitchen, then froze in shock when he saw who was standing there.

Whoever she was, she was beautiful, there was no doubt about that, but she definitely wasn't Mizuho. She was only his height, to start, and her hair was an interesting shade of brown-grey, and trailed down past her waist. When she turned to look at him, he saw that she had a strange pointed-oval mark on her forehead and triangle marks under her eyes, and that her bangs curled to the sides and above her face in ways that probably shouldn't be possible. She peered at him for a moment, then started to walk toward him, toweling off her hands.

"Is something wrong, Kei-san? Didn't you sleep well?"

Confronted with a situation that he had no idea how to address, Kei said the first thing that came to mind. "Umm . . . who are you?"

* * *

The morning sunlight filtered in through the temple windows, falling across Keiichi Morisato's face as it always did. He blinked blearily, wondering again why he never bothered to put a curtain over the window or move his futon, and slowly pulled himself out of bed. He scratched his head and chest as he slowly walked to his bedroom door, slid it open, and immediately found himself enveloped in an amazingly comfortable hug.

"Good morning, Keiichi-kun!"

Keiichi struggled against the loving suffocation only an instant after it started, as it hadn't taken him long to realize two things. First, no matter how alike the voice sounded, Belldandy had never called him Keiichi-kun, and she usually didn't greet him right outside his room in the mornings. Second, unless she'd somehow adopted Urd's body, Belldandy wasn't that well-endowed.

Keiichi pulled back and stared up into purple eyes. Yeah, he thought, definitely not Belldandy, no matter how pretty she was. She looked concerned, though, and her voice sounded almost exactly like the one that he'd grown to love hearing over the past few years.

"Keiichi-kun . . . what's wrong? Are you all right after last night?"

"Last . . . night?" Keiichi's mind, still not fully awake, struggled with what the strange woman was suggesting. Judging by the small smile on her face, and that her waist-length magenta hair seemed rather tousled, it was pretty obvious. Keiichi felt his mind freeze up, along with the rest of him.

The tall woman pulled back, and started to look very sad. "Are you upset with me? I thought that. . . ."

"No, no, it's not that," Keiichi said quickly. Whoever she was, he didn't want to upset her, and besides, he'd been through enough weirdness living with three goddesses. Things like this happening out of nowhere were almost normal. "It's just . . . I've never seen you before in my life."

Keiichi watched the woman collapse to the floor and start crying. So much for not upsetting her, he thought. Something very strange was going on, he thought, and he hoped Urd or Skuld woke up soon to help him figure it out, as this had all the signs of a big problem.


	2. Part 1:2: Chaos Ensues

Onegai, Megami-Sama!

Part 1-2: Chaos Ensues

"So let me get this straight. You woke up, and this woman greeted you like she was your lover." Urd quirked a white eyebrow at Keiichi, who blushed slightly.

"That's right," Keiichi said, and sipped tea from the cup he held. It wasn't as good as Belldandy would make, of course, but it always calmed him down.

"And you," Urd continued, looking at the magenta-haired woman who was sitting across from Keiichi, "have no idea why Keiichi says he's never seen you before."

Mizuho nodded, and wiped at her eyes. She'd been doing a lot of crying, and it had taken a small spell from Urd to calm her emotions and get her rational enough to talk about what was happening.

Urd sighed heavily. "It's too early in the morning to be dealing with this," she muttered. "Mizuho, right? I don't know how to tell you this, but I've never seen you before either, and I've been living here for years."

"Months," Mizuho said, "it's only been a few months." She looked over at Urd, who was now giving her a curiously raised eyebrow. "Keiichi-kun said that you'd been kicked out of your dormitory for having a boy over, and we had extra rooms for you and your little sister, so we agreed that you could stay here for a while."

Urd and Keiichi exchanged a significant look as Mizuho sipped her tea. Whatever had happened to bring this woman here, Keiichi thought, it'd done a thorough job. He hoped Urd and Skuld would be able to figure it out sometime soon, as he could tell it was only going to get more difficult. That, and he already missed Belldandy.

Mizuho glanced around the table, frowned, then stood and walked into the kitchen, where she started looking through the cabinets. "Keiichi-kun?" she asked.

"Umm, yes?"

"Where's the pocky?"

Keiichi sweatdropped.

* * *

Somewhere else in Japan, Kei was having his own early morning problems.

"How - how could you not know who I am, Kei-san?"

The young woman in front of him was starting to cry, and Kei was starting to panic. He'd already begun backing toward the bedroom, then suddenly realized that was a bad idea when she ran toward him and fell at his feet.

"If you don't want me to be here anymore, then . . . then I'll leave, but you know that we're supposed to be together always, it's what you wished for." She looked up at him, her eyes pleading. She still had the dishtowel in her hands.

"Together? You and me?" Kei stammered, "But - but I can't be together with you, I'm married!" And quite happily, he didn't add.

She looked at him oddly for a moment, blinked twice, then started to smile. "I see, Kei-san. That's not a very nice way for you to joke with me, but I forgive you." She stood, kissed him on the cheek before he had a chance to move away, and returned to the kitchen, humming cheerfully.

Kei sighed and shook his head. This was going to be difficult. "Umm--"

"And besides, dear," she said before he could even get started, "I know that you're married, just as I am. Something that precious, you really shouldn't joke about it."

"You're married?" Kei asked before thinking. She turned and smiled brightly at him, and he immediately wished he'd kept his mouth shut.

"Of course, Kei-san," she said, holding up her left hand. A ring with a small diamond was on her ring finger. "Do you think I'd forget? The small ceremony, just for the two of us, and we being the only married couple at our school?"

He stared at her, his mouth hanging open. "You mean. . . ."

"Are you feeling all right, Kei-san?" she asked, then walked over and put a hand to his forehead. "You don't feel warm. Did you get enough sleep?"

Please, Kei thought, let me still be dreaming. He closed his eyes, pinched his own arm, and opened them to see the girl with the strange facial markings still looking at him, very concerned.

"I'm fine," he said uneasily. "I just . . . had a strange dream, the kind that seems real when you wake up."

"I'm sorry," she said, looking like she meant it. "I'll make you some tea, that'll calm you down."

Kei watched her walk back to the kitchen, feeling rather helpless. She opened up a cabinet, then let out a gasp as several dozen boxes of pocky fell out. Despite the situation, Kei managed to smile. He wasn't crazy, he thought, but what had happened to Mizuho? How was he going to figure it out? And what else could possibly happen to make this any stranger?

There was a knock at the door, and Kei winced, wishing he hadn't asked. How was he going to explain this?

* * *

Matagu's morning was considerably more pleasant. He'd let Peorth use his futon the night before, thankful that his parents and little sister were out of town for the weekend so he didn't have to try to hide her and explain why he was using the guest futon in the living room. It occurred to him later that he would have had an even harder time explaining how Peorth had come to be there in the morning, half under his blanket, with her arms wrapped around him as she blew gently in his ear to awaken him.

And as nice as that was, Matagu still managed to panic.

He rolled out of the futon in a frenzy of flailing limbs, then quickly turned to see Peorth sitting there, still under the blanket, wearing an old shirt of his. He swallowed hard. She'd explained how, being cut off from Yggdrasil, she didn't have the energy to make her own clothes, and he figured she'd be borrowing from him anyway, so why not start early?

He hadn't expected her to wake him up still not wearing very much, though, and even though his heart was pounding like he'd just run a few dozen miles, he had no problem admitting he liked it. On the inside. On the outside, he still wasn't quite capable of forming words.

"I . . . gah. . . ."

"Good morning, ma chere," Peorth said.

"Good morning!" he said all at once.

"Your bed was quite comfortable." She giggled at that, and crawled a few steps toward him. "I trust you slept well, dreaming of me?"

"I - I don't know," Matagu said, trying to focus on breathing normally. "I don't remember my dreams very much." He reached for a robe, thankful he'd left it near the bed, and turned away from Peorth as he pulled it on. The last thing he needed was to embarrass himself any more than he already was, he thought.

"Such a pity. Ah, well." She stood and walked around to face him, and looked him in the eye. "Will we be bathing first, or shall I prepare your breakfast?"

"I usually shower before--" He paused, then blinked at her as exactly what she'd said registered in his brain. "We?"

"Of course," Peorth said with a smile that was half smirk. "Even without my connection to Yggdrasil, I am still a Goddess First Class, and you haven't been given your wish yet. Therefore, you're still being given the basic service package."

Matagu felt himself blushing again, and took a deep breath as he forced his mind to function. If this was the basic service package, then what was part of the. . . . "Um, I'm not sure how much food we have here right now. My parents are out of town a lot, and they usually don't get more until they get back."

Peorth nodded once, then headed for the kitchen, nearly mooning him in the process as the back of her shirt flipped up. Matagu gulped, then dashed for the bathroom once she was distracted.

After the fastest shower he'd ever taken, Matagu stepped out of the bathroom to find Peorth waiting for him, clad only in a towel. He yelped, and jumped back only to hit his head on the door he'd closed behind him.

"You're not being very nice," she said, sounding rather put out. "How am I supposed to wash your back when you're done?"

"I - I'll make it up to you next time," he said as quickly as he could. "You can shower now, I'll see what I can make for breakfast!" She looked as though she was going to pout, but headed into the bathroom nonetheless. Matagu sighed as soon as she was gone.

He headed for the kitchen, and by the time he heard Peorth's shower turn off, he'd put together what he figured was a pretty respectable breakfast. He'd been right about there not being a great deal of food in the house; then again, he hadn't planned on having guests. Once the table was set, he called for Peorth. "It's ready!"

Peorth walked out of his room wearing a pair of shorts that he hadn't been able to fit in since he was ten and a white t-shirt with the sleeves rolled up. She smiled at him fetchingly, and he felt his knees go weak. He tried not to stare and failed miserably.

"Your clothes look good on me, dear boy," she said as she stepped past him and sat down, "but it's no surprise, as I'm sure I look good in anything. Now, sit."

Matagu sat. After eating in silence for a few minutes, she asked him, "This teacher of yours, Mizuho, how far away from here is she?"

He tapped his chopsticks on his bowl of rice as he thought. "I'm not sure, but it's a pretty short walk. Maybe half a mile or so." He paused. "What are we going to tell my friends if we run into them?"

"You think we will?" she asked. "Had I my powers, I could of course just whisk us over there. Of course, had I my powers, I would have granted your wish last night."

For a moment, Matagu found himself very, very thankful that she'd lost her powers. Of course, he wanted to help her get them back, but he couldn't help enjoying this.

"Well, it's a pretty small town," he said, trying to cover up the dreamy look he was sure he'd been wearing for a second or two. "I seem to run into someone whenever I'm out."

"I see," Peorth said. "We'll just tell them I'm your lover."

Matagu nearly choked.

"Or would saying that I spent the night at your house be enough?"

He coughed again, and wondered for a moment if he'd even survive long enough to get over to Mizuho's house, let alone deal with trying to explain anything.

* * *

To Matagu's surprise, he and Peorth managed to get to Mizuho's apartment building fully intact and without running into anyone he knew. He tried not to think about it too much, guessing that being with a goddess - even one without her powers - was reason enough for minor miracles to happen. When they reached the door, he was about to knock when Peorth stopped him by taking his hand.

"Matagu," she whispered in a way that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

"Y-yes?"

She looked up at him, and he could see sincerity in her eyes instead of the smirk he'd gotten used to. For one of the few times since she'd arrived, she wasn't teasing or being flirtatious. "I've been around enough mortals to know that not all would do what you're doing now. Whatever comes of this, I want you to know you have my thanks." She smiled warmly.

He felt his entire body growing warmer, and only managed to ask "What do you mean?"

"Not everyone who gets a wish is so nice about it as you," Peorth said. "We try to only give wishes to the worthy ones, but some become so rude upon hearing that they can have their heart's desire. Many, upon finding a goddess without her powers, wouldn't be so kind about it."

"Oh." He tried to think of something profound and reassuring to say and came up blank. "Don't worry about it, Peorth. I mean, I wouldn't want you to be stuck down here any more than you would. We'll figure this out."

She didn't say anything more, just leaned in and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. "Just remember," she whispered in his ear as he turned bright red, "you still haven't gotten your wish." She nipped at his earlobe, then stepped back and motioned at the door. Now she was smirking.

Matagu swallowed hard and knocked on the door. "Mizuho-sensei?" he called.

From the other side of the door, he heard approaching footsteps, then someone crying out. The voice sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. There was the sound of a struggle, and then the door opened, revealing the last person Matagu had expected to see.

"Kei?"

"Ma - Matagu!" Kei smiled and rubbed at the back of his head. "What brings you here?"

"I needed to ask Mizuho-sensei for a favor," he said. "But why're you here?"

"Umm . . . oh, Sensei had an appointment for a checkup with my uncle today," Kei said, "but he had to answer an emergency call, so I came over to tell her that she'll have to reschedule."

"Kei-san, who's at the door?"

Another woman walked up behind Kei, and Matagu stared. Whoever she was, she was nearly as beautiful as Peorth, though in more of a classic way. She also had similar facial markings, and he was about to ask Peorth about that when the new woman's eyes opened wide and she smiled brightly.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Peorth! It's been so long, how are you doing?"

Matagu looked at Peorth, who looked surprised. This couldn't be good, he thought. "Belldandy?" she asked. "What're you doing here?"

"I live here, of course," she said. "Has it really been that long? Come in, come in, we need to catch up!"

"You know her?" Matagu asked.

"I'm glad somebody does," Kei said quietly.

"She's who I was supposed to be seeing in the first place," Peorth said, peering at Belldandy. "Why are you here, Belldandy? And where's Keiichi, shouldn't you two be together like you're supposed to be?"

Belldandy looked confused, and blinked at Peorth. "Who's Keiichi?"

Peorth narrowed her eyes, and leaned in close to the other woman. "You don't - remember - Keiichi?" she asked, speaking slowly and clearly.

Belldandy shook her head. "I know it's been a long time since we talked, but I'm married now," she said, wrapping her hand around Kei's arm. "How did you two meet?" she asked, looking at Matagu. "I'm so glad you've found someone, Shido-san."

"I'm sorry, but have we met?" he asked Belldandy, then looked at Kei. "Is Mizuho-sensei around? I need to see if she can drive us somewhere."

"She's not here," Kei said, glancing around nervously.

"Then how'd you get in?" Matagu asked.

Peorth nudged him. "That's not important, dear boy. I still know where we need to go, so if we can borrow the car, we must away." She looked at Belldandy and Kei. "You two are coming with us, of course, so we can get this mess worked out."

"What mess?" Belldandy looked back and forth between the three others. "Please, Kei-san, what's wrong?"

"I think we'll have to figure it out on the way," Kei said, then sighed. "I'll get the keys, I know where Sensei's car is."

"Right," Matagu said with a nod, then paused. "Hey, how do you know that?"

"Don't ask!" Kei said over his shoulder as he walked back into the apartment.

Belldandy just smiled. "It's been a very strange morning."

Matagu took a deep breath, and let it out as he looked at the two women. "Yeah, definitely."

* * *

It had been a while since Matagu had driven, but he managed to follow Peorth's directions and get Mizuho-sensei's yellow convertible to their destination without anything bad happening. He was almost surprised that some kind of giant monster hadn't hopped out of the ocean and started wrecking cities on their way; with everything that had happened since last night, he wouldn't have even been surprised.

It took most of the day to get there, and the sun was well on its way toward setting when Peorth finally pointed him down the road that led where she wanted to go. He didn't expect the road to lead to a temple, though he had to admit that it was somehow appropriate. "You're sure that the other goddesses are here?" he asked Peorth.

"What better place for a goddess?" she asked, then winked at him. He supposed she was right.

The four of them walked up to the front door, and Peorth knocked. A moment later, the door slid open, revealing a woman with silver-white hair, dark skin, and triangle-shaped markings on her face. A short young man with black hair stood just behind her.

"Peorth?" Urd gave the group a confused look.

"Keiichi!" Peorth exclaimed, looking behind the other goddess.

"Belldandy!" Keiichi yelled, pushing past Urd and diving for her.

"Kei-san?" Belldandy asked, confused, as Keiichi hugged her tightly.

"Keiichi-kun!" Mizuho called from the hallway beyond Urd, looking very upset.

"Mizuho!" Kei cried, trying to push into the temple and finding himself stopped by Urd's hand on his chest.

"Urd," Matagu managed, thankful Peorth had told him who they'd be meeting before the madness started. "I think we need your help."

* * *

A short while later, the seven of them were gathered around the kitchen table. Belldandy had happily prepared tea for the group, though she did have to be told where everything was, which Mizuho did with ease. Peorth gave Urd a weary look as she explained what had happened so far.

"So I thought to seek you out when my connection to Yggdrasil suddenly disappeared," she said. "Matagu-kun said he knew someone who had a car, and when we arrived there, we found Belldandy and Kei."

"Sounds like my morning," Urd said, looking down at her teacup as though she wished there was something stronger in it. "Now, let's get this straight." She looked at Keiichi and Mizuho, as the older woman had insisted on sitting next to him. "Mizuho, you're saying that you and Keiichi met in your class at Nekomi Tech and became lovers, and have been hiding your affair from everyone for two years."

Mizuho blushed. "It's not like that . . . all right, it's a lot like that, but that's not all of it. I love Keiichi-kun, you know that."

"Right," Urd said flatly. "And Belldandy, you say that you and Kei here got married shortly after he called the Goddess Technical Helpline and wished for you to be with him always."

"Of course, oneesan," Belldandy said. "You were at the wedding, don't you remember?"

Urd swirled her tea and sighed. "Right. Keiichi," she said, looking at him, "we know your story - wrong number, right wish. Kei, what happened to you?"

"Umm. . . ." Kei rubbed the back of his head, and glanced at Matagu. "It's kind of hard to explain."

"Out with it," Urd said, glaring at him. "If you want to get any of this fixed, we have to know everything."

Kei looked down at the table. "I found out that Mizuho's half-extraterrestrial, and when we were talking at school, we got caught by the principal. We got married to cover it up, and we - we fell in love along the way."

"Kei-san, what are you talking about?" Belldandy gave him a pleading look. "This isn't your dream, whatever it was that you were still thinking about this morning. You're married to me, don't you remember?"

"You're married to Mizuho?" Matagu asked, shock clear on his face.

"No, he's not!" Mizuho exclaimed. "And I'm not half-extraterrestrial, no matter what he says!"

"Really?" Kei asked. He pulled out a box of pocky, and watched her face light up. "Do you know why you like this so much?"

Mizuho paused as she reached for the box. "I . . . I don't know. Something about . . . about my father?" She put her hands to her temples. "I don't remember my father, that doesn't make sense!"

"Should it?" Urd asked Kei.

Kei nodded enthusiastically. "I don't know what's going on, but I think she remembers something."

"Ah, good, good," Peorth said. "Now we can get this mess worked out, so I can get my connection with Yggdrasil back!"

"It's not going to be that easy," Urd said, shaking her head. Everyone at the table looked at her. "I'm going to make some calls, see what I can track down," she said as she stood up. "Maybe I can fix this all with a potion, that'd be nice. But," she continued, looking down at Peorth, "fixing this comes first. You're not going to skip out on all of us until this is done, right?"

"Of - of course not, my dear Urd!" Peorth said, trying to look innocent.

"Don't worry about that," Matagu said, leaning forward. "This is all really strange, but we're all mixed up in it. We'll figure it out, all of us."

Keiichi nodded and smiled. "I should have guessed something like this would happen someday, but I'm glad you're here so we can work this out," he said. "Life's usually pretty weird living with three goddesses."

Mizuho frowned at him, looking hurt. "Keiichi-kun!"

"About as bad as trying to hide being married to your teacher," Kei said.

"Kei-san!"

Matagu just shook his head.


	3. Part 1:3: Tea Makes Everything Better

Onegai, Megami-sama!

Part 1-3: Tea Makes Everything Better

Mizuho Kazami sat on the back porch of the temple, looking out over the hills that surrounded the old building. An open box of pocky sat next to her, and she chewed idly on one stick of it as she leaned against the wall. She sighed, and looked down at the box for what she was sure was the tenth time since Kei had given it to her. There was something about it, she knew that, something very familiar. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't think of what it could be.

What, she thought, could be the problem at all? Kei and Belldandy seemed like good people; less rowdy than Keiichi-kun's friends in the Motor Club and overall very nice. Kei seemed to have some of the same traits she loved so much about Keiichi-kun, she had to admit that. But this bizarre story of his, her being half-extraterrestrial and being a teacher in some small town she'd never even heard of . . . it was so strange, she didn't want to believe it. And then there was the claim that Urd and Keiichi were making, that Belldandy was some kind of goddess, just as Urd and Peorth and Skuld were. She'd never known Urd to be anything like that, the same with Skuld.

Mizuho bit off the end of her pocky and sighed. There had to be some way to work this out, they only had to find it. That was priority one.

"Would you like some tea?"

Mizuho blinked and sat up. She hadn't even heard Belldandy come out of the temple, but there she was, holding a tray with two teacups and a kettle. For all the strange things that had been happening since this morning, the other woman seemed remarkably at ease.

"Ah - yes, thank you," Mizuho said, trying not to sound nervous. She turned slightly away from Belldandy as the other woman sat down next to her and poured tea for both of them. After a moment of silence, Mizuho glanced over at her.

Belldandy was looking off into the distance, holding her tea in her lap with a small smile on her face. She looked so peaceful, Mizuho thought, like nothing that's happened today had any effect on her. Wasn't she concerned about what any of this could mean? Mizuho sighed deeply, then sipped at her tea. She blinked.

"It's very good," she said, and Belldandy smiled at her. "Did you find everything you needed?"

"Of course," Belldandy said brightly. "I remembered from earlier, and I can always find my way around a kitchen."

Mizuho couldn't help smiling at that. "You seem like that type," she said. "You and Kei must be very happy together."

"Oh, I'm sure we are," Belldandy said. She looked back off toward the mountains. "I know our time together hasn't been all that long, but it feels like I've known him forever. We married so quickly, but there was never a doubt in our hearts."

"You're lucky," Mizuho said, joining Belldandy in staring off into the distance. "I've thought about marriage, I'm sure Keiichi-kun has also, but he gets so nervous about things like that." She brushed a lock of magenta hair over her shoulder. "How long have you and Kei been together?"

"Less than a year, but we knew we were right for each other as soon as we met," Belldandy said wistfully. "He wished for me to be with him always, and I could see what kind of man he was, so it was a wish I had no trouble granting."

"He does seem like a good boy," Mizuho agreed. She looked down at the box of pocky again, and pulled out another one. She studied it for a moment before biting off the top. "But still," she said quietly, "I have to wonder."

"I know," Belldandy said after a moment's pause. "Kei-san isn't the type to lie, I know that. But I can't lie; I'm forbidden from it as a goddess. So I don't know what's right. I have so many memories of my time with Kei-san, it doesn't seem right that they'd all be false."

"What do you remember?" Mizuho asked, then sipped her tea again.

"We went to the beach for our honeymoon," Belldandy said, a dreamy note coming into her voice.

Mizuho giggled. "Keiichi-kun and I went to the beach on our first date," she said.

"Oh, how wonderful!" Belldandy said. "It was a bit difficult for us, as we ran into some of Kei-san's friends there, and we had to hide that we were staying in the honeymoon suite. One of them, Shido-san in fact, nearly found out."

"That's almost like my date with Keiichi-kun!" Mizuho said, starting to laugh out loud. "Some people from our school were at the beach as well, so we had to pretend that we just ran into each other there, like it was a coincidence."

"That must have been so hard, but I'm sure you laughed about it later," Belldandy said. "Did they try to pull him away from you?"

"At first, yes, as one of them - Aoshima, a boy who thinks too much of himself and has been flirting with me since the first day of classes - he had his father's speedboat, so we were both invited onto that."

Belldandy blinked. "Oh, no," she said. "I can see where this is going."

"Of course," Mizuho said, "Keiichi-kun fell off--"

"Which could have led to such trouble--"

"Because Keiichi can't swim!" both women said at once.

The two of them paused, and stared at each other. Their eyes were wide in surprise. Mizuho started to say something, but nothing came out. Belldandy had gone completely pale, and held her hand over her mouth, as though she was afraid of what might come out.

"How . . . how did you know that?" Mizuho whispered.

"I don't know," Belldandy said. "I'm so sorry, but I just don't know. I don't think I even knew it before you started telling your story."

"Do you think this means they're right?" Mizuho asked. She felt herself starting to grow frantic, and remembered the time she and Keiichi had nearly been discovered, hidden in one of the sports equipment shacks at Nekomi. But, she thought, if Keiichi-kun and Kei and Urd were right, then had that even happened?

"It - it could," Belldandy said, looking as though it was hard to admit it. "I don't know." She paused, and sighed, then looked at Mizuho with tears brimming in her eyes. "I know that Kei-san loves you," she said quietly. "I can feel it when he looks at you. And I feel something much the same from Keiichi. But I also know that you love Keiichi, and I love Kei-san!"

Mizuho pushed the tray aside, and the two women embraced, sharing tears as they wondered about what the rest of the night would hold and who they were truly meant to love.

* * *

Back in the temple, behind the door tastefully marked 'Castle Urd,' two goddesses also wondered what else the night would hold, though for an entirely different reason.

"I swear," Urd said, sitting beneath an illusory display that looked like a pretzel shaped by someone with a dozen personalities and seventeen fingers, "you picked the worst possible night to have something bad happen to you, Peorth."

"You say that as though it's my fault," Peorth said, waving a hand at Urd from where she lay on the floor, leaning up against Matagu. "I was simply there to grant a wish."

Urd peered closer at the tangled mess, and tugged on one of the red strings, making it disappear. "I know, I know. And if we can find that wish, we can find out what happened." She ducked down under the tangle, and quirked an eyebrow at Peorth and Matagu. "So, did you get your wish?" she asked, giving him a look that suggested she knew exactly what he wanted to wish for.

Matagu blinked a few times, then rubbed his hand behind his head, embarrassed. "No, not really . . . something happened to Peorth before I could finish." He could feel himself blushing again, and wished he could stop doing that. "That, and my wish isn't really valid anymore."

"Oh, really?" Urd asked, then tugged at another strand on the illusion.

"Yeah, I wished that Mizuho-sensei and I could go out on a date," he said, then grinned sheepishly. "I didn't know she was married to Kei."

"Neither did she," Peorth said flatly. "But that's not how it's supposed to be, oui, Urd?"

"Oui is right," Urd said. She pulled away two strands, orange and white this time. "You know, this'd be a lot easier if you hadn't lost your connection with Yggdrasil. It's hard to trace which path of energy is yours when it's not with you right now."

"But you can do it, right?" Matagu asked eagerly. He'd seen the look on Peorth's face; she didn't like being told she was at fault for anything, even if it wasn't really her fault.

"Of course!" Urd said. "I am, after all, a genius!" Urd threw her head back and laughed in a way that made Matagu wish for the pleasant tones of nails on a blackboard. He winced.

"It could be worse, cheri," Peorth whispered up to Matagu as Urd continued laughing. "She could be making one of us take a potion."

"I heard that," Urd said flatly. She yanked a purple strand out of the illusion and whipped at the two of them with it. Matagu yelped.

"Ah, Urd, you'll never change," Peorth said with a dark smile. "How long will it take you to trace my energy lines?"

"Shouldn't take me too long," Urd said, tugging out another half-dozen colored streams and banishing them into puffs of smoke. She pulled on a bright blue one, and suddenly the entire tangled mess contracted in on itself, looking like a ball of yarn that had spent a year as the toy of a schizophrenic cat. Urd blinked at it, then scowled dramatically and started to growl.

"That's not good, is it?" Matagu asked Peorth.

"Non," Peorth said quietly. "Definitely not."

Urd cursed under her breath. "All right, that's it! Time to call in reinforcements."

The dark-skinned goddess held up one hand, and a puff of smoke appeared in her palm. When it faded, a chibi-Urd sat there, sitting in lotus position as though meditating. It turned to look at Urd and blinked, then jumped back at the expression on her face.

"Go find Skuld," the full-grown Urd growled. "I know she's somewhere with Sentaro, so tell her to get back here without letting him see you." She paused, then snatched the tiny version of herself as it was about to dash away. "And tell her to pick me up some saké on the way back."

The chibi-Urd glowered at her, then disappeared in an overly cute puff of smoke. Urd looked over at Peorth and Matagu to see that he was staring at her like she'd just grown another head. She supposed she had, in a way, but there'd been a body attached to it, so it shouldn't be a big deal.

"I'm a goddess, kid," she said. "Don't worry about it."

Matagu blinked again, then shook his head violently. "I won't worry, I won't worry," he said. "I won't go insane either, I swear."

Urd grinned at that. "Oh, I could whip up something for you if that happened," she said.

He went pale, and wondered if Peorth's descriptions of Urd's potions was exaggerated or not. He then saw that Urd was starting at him, and suddenly wanted to blush again.

"Peorth, what have you been telling him about me anyway?"

"Why," Peorth said, somehow looking innocent with her head in Matagu's lap, "only the truth, dear Urd!"

Urd glared at her for a moment, then leaned back and started pulling strings in the illusion again. "Right, right. You're still giving this one the full service package, right? Just like you did for Keiichi?"

Peorth jerked her head up. "What?"

"What?" Matagu echoed.

"Oh, come on, it hasn't been that long," Urd said, starting to smile as she focused on her work. "You were all over Keiichi when you were here, when he called you by mistake. You insisted it was part of the service package."

"It's just . . . the service?" Matagu asked, slowly starting to move away from Peorth. "You'd do this for anyone?"

"It's a matter of pride for her," Urd said before Peorth could get a word in. "What, didn't she give you her speech about 'having a reputation for the very best of service'?"

"Urd!" Peorth hissed. "I'll thank you to refrain from--"

"From what," Urd said, finally looking her in the eye. "Telling the truth?"

By now, Matagu had risen to his feet and was walking toward the door. He turned back to look at Peorth. "I wish you'd said something," he said, a touch of bitterness in his voice. "You said you had the best of service, but I really didn't think that you meant it like that."

"Matagu-kun. . . ." Peorth started to sit up, but he was already out of the room. She turned and glared at Urd. If she hadn't been out of touch with Yggdrasil, sparks would have been flying around her eyes. "What was that for?"

"Just making sure you know what you're doing," Urd said. She went back to working her fingers through the tangled mass. "Matagu seems like a good kid, and it already looks like he's into you. He also seems like the kind who'd get hurt real bad if you just flew off once you have your connection to Yggdrasil back."

Peorth folded her hands in her lap and looked down at them. It was a while before she spoke. "You've granted wishes, right, Urd?"

"A few," Urd said. "I worked for the Goddess Technical Helpline for a few weeks before Belldandy did. Not really my kind of work. Most of the men I showed up for just started drooling."

"I've seen the same thing, of course," Peorth said. "Matagu was much like that when I first came to him, simply staggered. I wasn't surprised. But," she continued, lowering her head a bit, "when I lost my connection, I wasn't worried about being there with him. Does that make sense?"

"More than you know," Urd said with a small smile, "more than you know."

* * *

"So, you met Belldandy when you dialed a wrong number?"

Kei and Keiichi sat across from each other at the kitchen table, both with glasses in hand. After Kei's question, they both drained their glasses in one swig, then he refilled them.

"Yeah," Keiichi said. "It was the strangest thing, but I've never had anything better happen to me." He heaved a sigh. "And you and Mizuho, you found out she's half-alien?"

"It was complicated," Kei said, leaning forward and resting his chin on the table. "But I found out, and we got caught when we were talking in private, and I said I was married to her to cover it all. So we ended up getting married."

Keiichi nodded, then started laughing. "Life's really strange like that sometimes," he said.

"Really strange," Kei agreed, and the two of them clinked their glasses together and drank again. "We really should reheat this tea," Kei said when they were both done. "It's not as good cold."

Keiichi nodded, then chuckled. "I was about to look for Belldandy, I know she'd have taken care of it as soon as you said something."

"Mizuho would have gone through too much pocky to notice it was cold," Kei said with his own chuckle. He looked at Keiichi, and sighed. "We're pretty hopeless, aren't we?"

"Yeah, definitely," Keiichi said. "But Urd'll figure it out, I'm sure about that. She's kind of bizarre sometimes, but she's calmed down a lot since she first showed up. She and Skuld will come up with something."

"I hope so." Kei paused, then glanced around a bit. "You live here with all three of them? What's that like?"

"It's crazy," Keiichi said, putting his hand to his forehead. "Bell and I never get any time alone. Skuld keeps saying that she'll kill me if I touch Belldandy, and Urd keeps saying she'll kill me if I don't touch Belldandy. . . ."

Kei drew back, and blinked. "I'm sorry for you," he said, sounding surprised. "Of course," he continued, "that's almost as bad as having to hide that I'm married to Mizuho. And then there were rumors that she and I were having an affair. . . ." He trailed off, and rested his chin on the table again.

"But you could say that you weren't, and it wouldn't be a lie," Keiichi said with a smile.

Kei raised his head. "I didn't think of that," he said.

The kitchen door slid open, and Matagu walked in, looking like he'd just had a bus dropped on his head. He slumped down at the table, and reached for a glass.

"The tea's cold," Kei said.

"I don't care," Matagu mumbled. He sipped his tea, but didn't say anything more.

"What's wrong, Matagu?" Kei asked after a moment.

Matagu stared down into his teacup. "Keiichi?"

"Yeah?"

"When you called Peorth before, whenever it was, how'd she act?"

"What - what do you mean?" Keiichi asked, scratching the back of his head and smiling nervously. "It's been a long time, I--"

"She was all over you, wasn't she?" Matagu asked, more forcefully than he'd meant to. Keiichi drew back from him, but he continued. "She went on about good service and being known for it. Right?"

"R-right," Keiichi managed. He glanced over at Kei, who was looking at Matagu as though he hadn't expected such an outburst from his friend. "Why?"

Matagu drank more of his cold tea, and seemed to calm down a bit. "Because I'm an idiot," he said quietly, "and I fell for it."

"Matagu. . . ." Kei gave his friend a concerned look. "What happened?"

"She showed up, and I really thought I'd gone to heaven," Matagu said, then gave a pained laugh. "I was all set to ask her for a date with Mizuho, but even then I was thinking about wishing for more time with her. She was the only girl who'd ever . . . you know. . . ."

"Acted like she liked you?" Keiichi asked. He nodded along with Matagu. "I know what you mean. There's this girl at Nekomi, Sayoko, and she's been known to prey on guys like you."

"Really?" Matagu asked.

"Mm-hmm," Keiichi said. "She used to be campus queen before Belldandy came here, so she's done a lot of things to try to get that back. If she thought you could help, she'd treat you like you were the only guy she'd ever liked. She tried it on me once or twice, trying to get me to break up with Belldandy."

Kei nodded along with Matagu. He was starting to see that there might be some things that weren't so bad about having a secret love, then remembered all that had happened with Herikawa, and shrugged. Either way had its problems.

"I don't know if Peorth would do that, though," Keiichi continued. "She's overly affectionate, I know that, and it's kind of hard to deal with. I bet she tried to share your bed, right?"

"No," Matagu said, "but she woke me up in a way that made me glad my parents were out of town. And she tried to bathe with me." He paused. "What's that look for, Kei?"

"I'm surprised you're being so open about it," Kei said. "Usually, you can hardly even talk to Mizuho, or talk about this kind of thing with all of us."

Matagu smiled sheepishly. "I guess it's different now that something's actually happening," he said. "I don't know if I want it to, though." He folded his arms on the table and hung his head.

"I guess. . . ." Keiichi looked up at the ceiling, pondering. "Try not to worry about it too much. When I wished for Belldandy to be with me always, I didn't think I'd actually get that wish, and I was worried about what would happen afterward. But she's a goddess, and so is Peorth. Things just work out around them sometimes."

"Even if Peorth doesn't have her powers or whatever right now?" Matagu asked without raising his head.

"Maybe even more," Keiichi said. "I'm still not sure about how they work and everything that goes with it, but I do know they can't lie. At least, Peorth and Belldandy can't, I'm not sure about Urd and Skuld."

"I heard that!" Urd yelled from her room.

Kei and Matagu laughed while Keiichi glowered. After a moment, the three of them looked at each other and nodded.

"I don't know what I'm going to do about this," Matagu said, "but thanks, Keiichi. I'm glad that you know what you're talking about."

"I'm not that much of an expert," Keiichi said with a shrug, "especially with women. Bell's the only girlfriend I've ever had. But I've learned that you really need to talk with the one you like, that's the only way it's going to work out."

"He's right," Kei added. "Mizuho and I have our fights, we always have. It's far from perfect, but being married to her. . . ." He trailed off with a dreamy look on his face.

"I'm sorry I was going to wish for a date with her," Matagu said after a moment.

"It's okay," Kei said with a small grin. "You didn't know, and I know you have feelings for her, even if you couldn't confess them."

"Right, but I could have messed up your marriage," Matagu said, "and I didn't even know it." He hung his head again. "Maybe I should just become a monk."

"C'mon, it's not that bad," Keiichi said, putting a hand on Matagu's shoulder. "Listen. Peorth's probably going to try to share your bed tonight, that's just how she is. Talk to her, see if she's just treating you like this 'cause you called her or if she really likes you. It couldn't hurt."

"Maybe," Matagu said. "But what if she doesn't? What if it's just part of the service, and she's just going to disappear when this is all over?"

Keiichi and Kei looked at each other for a moment. "Then you steal some of Urd's saké," Keiichi said with a grin.

From outside, there was the sound of tires coming to a screeching halt. Kei and Matagu jumped, Keiichi didn't even move. The front door flew open with a slam, and footsteps pounded on the floor, heading toward the kitchen.

"Welcome back, Skuld," Keiichi said calmly as the young goddess skidded to a halt at the doorway.

Skuld, clad in a black tank top with her 'Skuld Power' logo on the front and cargo pants, looked at each of the young men in turn. "Hey, Keiichi. Who're these guys?"

"Oh, good, she doesn't know me," Kei said, relieved. "After Mizuho and Belldandy--"

"What about my sister?" Skuld asked forcefully, grabbing the back of Kei's collar and pulling him back so she could stare down at him.

"Skuld . . . please. . . ." Kei struggled for breath.

"She's the other goddess?" Matagu asked Keiichi, giving him an incredulous look.

"Of course!" Skuld said, letting go of Kei's shirt. He gasped, leaning forward over the table. "Now," she said, looking at Keiichi again, "what's going on here?"

Keiichi explained, slowly, with Kei and Matagu putting in their parts as they came around. By the time they were finished, Skuld was sitting at the fourth place at the table with her own cup of tea. She had an expression on her face that Keiichi recognized, one that showed she was concerned about what was happening but dead-set on finding some way to figure it out and build the device that would take care of it.

Skuld finished her tea, then stood. "All right," she said, "I'm gonna go talk to Urd. We'll get this straightened out. I know," she said, looking at Keiichi, "oneesan's happy with you, even if she thinks she doesn't even know you right now."

Kei blinked up at her. "Thank you for your help, but . . . that doesn't really make much sense."

She leaned close and glared at Kei. "You want your wife back, don't you?" He nodded, barely, and she stood and folded her arms across her chest. "Then let me get to work!" She leaped over the table, heading toward Urd's room.

Matagu watched her leave, looking quite worried, then turned back to Keiichi. "How do you live with all three of them?"

Keiichi grinned, and put a hand to the back of his head. "It's not easy. . . ."


	4. Part 1:4: The Old Switcheroo

Onegai, Megami-Sama!

Part 1-4: The Old Switcheroo

Later that night, Matagu lay on a borrowed futon, staring up at the ceiling. He'd always found it hard to sleep in places he wasn't used to, and trying to figure out everything that had happened over the last day and a half wasn't making it any easier. He supposed he shouldn't be worrying about it too much; Urd seemed to know what she was doing, and she and Peorth should be able to figure things out, even if they had to stay up all night.

At least, that was his theory, which was promptly proved wrong as the door slid open and he saw Peorth standing there in silhouette.

"So sorry, cheri, but there aren't enough rooms for everyone." He couldn't see her face, but he could tell she had the same mischievous smirk on her face that she wore so often. He liked it, he guessed, but he wasn't sure what was behind it. She walked over to the futon, knelt, and slipped under the blanket with him. "Not enough beds, either."

"I thought goddesses always had to tell the truth," he said. He turned away from her. "Or are you allowed not to, because you're cut off from Yerg - Yzgg--"

"Yggdrasil," Peorth said, scooting closer to him. "And of course, I'm still a goddess first class. You couldn't expect me to lie, oui?"

"I don't know," he said, moving away from her. He could feel her breath on the back of his neck when she spoke, and it was making it difficult to think. "I remember what Urd said, and I talked to Keiichi. You did all this same stuff for him when he called you."

"Not quite, dear boy," she said, inching closer to him again. "Keiichi made it all very difficult, you see, and I thought he might make me do a poor job. You, of course," she continued, trailing a finger up his spine, "have given me no such reason to worry."

Matagu's whole body tensed, and he shivered. That felt really, really good, he thought, but if Urd was right. . . . "I thought so. This is just your job." He scooted away from her again, half-hoping she'd stay put this time and half-hoping she wouldn't.

"It is my job, cheri," Peorth said, "and I'm very good at it." She reached out with arm and leg, and pulled herself closer to him until she lay right up against him.

He yelled, though quietly, and rolled away from her, right off of the futon and onto the cold floor. He winced, then opened his eyes to see that he was now facing her. She didn't look as he'd expected her to. In the dim light, she seemed almost . . . sad. "Peorth?" he whispered. "I - I'm--"

"Forgetful?" she whispered, giving him an questioning look in the near-darkness. "Or did you think that what I told you only earlier today was also just part of the job?"

"What you told me. . . ." Matagu pondered for a moment, then remembered what she'd said when they were standing outside of Mizuho-sensei's apartment. "I remember. What do you mean?"

Peorth sighed, and shook her head, then leaned up on one elbow. She still looked amazing in his old clothes, he thought. "Matagu-kun, you're making this difficult for me. That's not very kind of you."

"I'm sorry," he said, though he wasn't quite sure why he should be apologizing. She wasn't exactly making it easy for him either. "But I guess . . . I just . . . I know it's your job to be like this."

"Of course," she said. "When you call for the best, you get the best, which is me. Don't you think you deserve the best?"

"Why?" he asked, rolling over onto his back. "I've never even had a girlfriend, so why should I start with a goddess?"

"Why should that make a difference, hmm?" She reached out and gently laid her hand over his. "Matagu-kun. The ones who deserve them get wishes, even if not all of them are granted by one such as me. Do you understand?"

"Not really," Matagu admitted. "I've always seen myself as a pretty regular guy."

"Oh, truly?" she asked, a hint of a smile in her voice. "So regular that you'd give up your heart's desire, your intended wish, for another?"

Matagu felt himself blush, and was glad it was dark. He knew she couldn't read his mind when she wasn't in touch with Yggdrasil, so how could she know that he'd been thinking of wishing for more time with her? At least, he'd been thinking of that before Urd had pointed out that it was all part of the job for Peorth. Then again, he thought, maybe that wasn't what she meant.

"You mean Kei and Mizuho?" he asked. He glanced over at Peorth, and saw her nod. "That's not . . . I couldn't do that, they're married."

"Ah," she said, tapping on his hand. "But you didn't know. It was your heart's desire, perhaps it still is. If you knew of them, but also knew that you could make your wish and that Kei would never know, it would be as though they were never married, would you?"

"No," Matagu said without thinking. He paused, surprised at himself. Was he telling the truth? He'd spent hours psyching himself up before he called Mizuho that one night, trying to find the courage to confess his feelings. That wasn't even all that long ago. Did he still feel the same way?

A moment later, he sighed. No, he supposed he didn't. Knowing that Mizuho and Kei were married had taken something away from him, like his dream really was just that. He sighed. He'd always had impossible dreams, he supposed.

"No," he said again, glad that Peorth hadn't said anything while he thought. "I wouldn't. They're happy together, I guess, when they know who they're supposed to be married to." He couldn't help chuckling at that.

"Oui," she said quietly, "so I see. But what about you, Matagu-kun?" She leaned closer, and he started to pull away, but she held tightly to his hand. "What wish would make you happy?"

"I don't know," he stammered. "Maybe. . . ." He looked over at her again, though he could hardly make her out. "Maybe for now, knowing if I'm just . . . just another job for you or not." He turned his head away from her. "I don't want to be."

"Naming your wish when I'm out of touch with Yggdrasil," Peorth said, then gave a small laugh. "Are you trying to get an extra wish out of me, dear boy?"

Matagu gulped. "No, that's not what I meant--"

"Then I won't answer," she interrupted. "But you should remember what I said, cheri. No matter what comes of this, you have my eternal gratitude for helping me when others would have just stood by, or worse, taken advantage of a goddess without her powers."

He cringed at the thought, but he knew she was right. He'd known guys - not many, thankfully - who might only have helped her if they got something more out of it.

"And believe me," she continued, leaning closer to his ear as she whispered, "the gratitude of a goddess, especially one such as I, is not easily gained by a mortal. You are special, Matagu-kun, no matter how regular you may see yourself as being." She pulled away from him this time, and slid across the futon. He looked over to see her laying on her side, holding the blanket open for him.

"And I did speak the truth about the lack of beds," she said. "So, are you going to sleep comfortably or no?"

He swallowed hard, then slowly scooted back to the futon. He lay on his back, more nervous than he'd ever been, as she draped the cover over them both.

"Try to relax, Matagu-kun," she whispered. "Urd and Skuld will help set things right, and then we can finally get to the matter of your wish." She curled up next to him, and rested her head on his shoulder, then twined her legs with his. "Now, sleep."

He was sure he wouldn't be able to, but Matagu soon fell into the most restful sleep he'd known in a very long time.

* * *

Kei stumbled out of Keiichi's room, sleep-deprived after having to listen to the other man snore for half the night, tripped over a bundle of cables running through the temple hallway, and fell into Urd, planting his nose in her cleavage.

The silver-haired goddess looked down at him, blinked, and said, "Morning. Shall I tell one of your wives about this?"

Kei jerked back, already halfway to panicking, and held up his arms in front of his face. "It's not what you think! I tripped--"

"Calm down, kid," Urd said with an amused smile. "Last thing I want is more chaos around here, trust me. Besides," she continued, heading past the still-stunned Kei, "we should be able to get things straightened out this morning. Skuld's been up all night working on it."

"Really?" he asked, then let his arms drop. He noticed what Urd was carrying - a bottle of saké and a bag with a '131 Flavors' label. "Wow. So, why did you get ice cream?"

She looked back at him, still amused, and grinned. "How else do you think I can get her to keep working? If she stops, something might blow up like it usually does, and then you're without your wife for even longer."

"Here, let me help you with that," Kei said quickly, joining her as she opened the door with the 'Skuld Labs' sign on it. He glanced into Skuld's room, and immediately facefaulted.

The room looked like a garage owned by someone who was trying to build a fleet of mecha in their spare time. Mechanical parts, most of which Kei couldn't tell what they were for, were scattered across every possible surface. A large workstation dominated one corner, and a futon was shoved up against the wall next to it. Tools hung from every wall. Stacks of ice cream cups stood all around the room like some kind of monument. Somewhere in the middle of it all sat Skuld, piecing together what could have been a virtual reality helmet if not for the multitude of wires and coils sticking out of its top.

"Morning, sis," Urd said casually as she strode in. "Any luck with that thing?"

It was a full two minutes before Skuld looked up and realized there was someone else in the room. "Oh, good morning!" Her eyes focused intently on the bag Urd held. "Ice cream!"

"All yours," she said, setting the bag down next to Skuld, who dove in. "All mine," she continued, holding up the bottle of saké. She leered at it for a moment, then looked at Kei. "Oh, Belldandy's probably made breakfast by now."

"You think so?" Kei asked. "This isn't even where she thinks she lives."

"Doesn't matter," Urd said, cracking open her bottle. "She knows there's people who need it, so she'll cook. Besides," she said after a quick swig, "I'd bet she and Mizuho have been up most of the night talking. You might want to head out there anyway."

"Ehh. . . ." Kei put his hand behind his head. "I don't know. It's kind of hard to even think about it. Love triangles are bad enough, but a marriage triangle?"

"Oh, quit worrying and get over there," Urd said, giving him a light shove toward the door. "You'll thank me later."

Kei gave her one last nervous look as he stumbled out the door and she closed it behind him. He sighed. "I might as well," he said to himself, and headed toward the kitchen.

He smelled something delicious by the time he was halfway there, and it lifted his spirits. Just when he was starting to think that things might not be so bad, he walked into the kitchen to find Mizuho glaring at him. He cringed on instinct - he'd always hated fighting with her - then noticed Keiichi and Belldandy sitting on opposite sides of the table, both looking very upset. A tray with teacups and a plate of muffins sat on the table between them.

"Umm . . . good morning," Kei said meekly.

Mizuho didn't say anything, but kept giving him a look. He tried to smile, wondering just what he could have done. After another moment, she looked over at Belldandy.

"You're right," she said.

"I told you," Keiichi said, then sipped his steaming tea.

"It does seem like he's used to it," Belldandy said. She looked over at Kei and smiled. "I'm sorry about that, Kei-san, but it was Keiichi's suggestion."

Kei blinked at Keiichi. "What suggestion was that?" he asked, exasperated.

"To see if you'd act like a husband would if his wife was mad at him," Mizuho said, laughter in her voice.

Kei sighed again. He wondered if this day could get any worse.

Mizuho was still looking at him, and her face had turned serious. "I still don't remember being married to you," she said.

That wasn't technically worse, Kei thought; it was just the same as it had been yesterday. Unfortunately, he had a feeling about what was coming. "But?" he asked.

"But I remember things. . . ."

It took Kei a moment to realize that it was Belldandy who'd said something, not Mizuho. Their voices sounded so much alike; he didn't think he'd be able to tell who was saying what if he didn't have them right in front of him.

At the table, Belldandy was looking down at her hands, seeming very melancholy. Kei and Mizuho sat down. Kei took a glass of tea, while Mizuho pulled out a stick of pocky. He couldn't help smiling at that, despite the mood at the table. It seemed that no matter what had happened, Mizuho was still Mizuho.

"There are things I know," Belldandy began, speaking slowly, "things I've realized. When Mizuho and I were talking last night, I remembered that Keiichi can't swim." She sipped her tea while Kei gave Keiichi a strange look. He was how old, and couldn't swim? And why would Belldandy remember that, of all things? "Everything that Mizuho tells me about Keiichi, it all seems so familiar."

"It's the same with what she says about Kei," Mizuho added, and bit off the end of her pocky. "But Urd says that Skuld should have her machine finished soon, so we can get all this figured out. That's--"

"Priority one," Kei said at the same time as Mizuho. He smiled at her as she looked stunned. "You've been saying that since the day I met you," he said.

Mizuho lowered her head a bit, blushing faintly. "Keiichi-kun, have you ever heard me say that?"

"Nope," Keiichi said, shaking his head. "That's the first time."

She and Belldandy both sighed while Kei and Keiichi nodded at each other. This was going to work, Kei thought. They just needed to give Skuld the time, and she and Urd could fix whatever was wrong. Then they could figure out how to get Peorth's connection to Yggdrasil back, and everyone could go back to normal. But even if that happened, he thought, he might want to keep in touch with Keiichi. It'd be nice not being the only one who had a rather strange relationship.

There was the sound of a very loud motor from outside the temple, which came to a sputtering stop. Keiichi looked panicked for a moment, then winced when a loud voice called out, "Morisato!"

"That's Tamiya," Keiichi said, grimacing.

"I know, time to hide," Mizuho said, standing up from the table. "Kei, Belldandy, come with me - there's a place he can't find us."

"What?" Kei asked, blinking. "Why do we have to hide?"

"Because I'm his teacher!" Mizuho said, sounding half-frantic. Kei nodded, suddenly understanding perfectly, and followed her out of the kitchen. The day hadn't necessarily gotten worse, he thought, but it sure had gotten weirder. . . .

* * *

Matagu wandered out of his own room around noon. He hadn't really wanted to get out of bed. Every time he'd awakened, he thought about everything that was happening and everything that was probably going to happen today and how he'd gotten into this whole mess and why he should bother worrying about any of it when he just wanted to stay under the blanket and fall asleep again next to Peorth. In the end, hunger had forced him to emerge, and when he did, he nearly clotheslined himself on a line of blue-green glowing energy that was streaking through the hallway.

"Don't touch that!" someone yelled from nearby, and Matagu froze. Skuld ran around the corner, skidded to a halt, and pulled some strange metallic loop from somewhere in her billowy white shirt. She flipped the loop around the energy, then yanked it down to the floor, where it stuck. She then looked up at Matagu, beaming. "Morning!"

"Umm . . . morning," he managed. "What is that?"

"It's an energy tracer," Skuld said. "It'll find what happened to Peorth when she got pulled away from Yggdrasil, and get us enough energy to power my Skuld Mark VII Hyperspeed Mind Restoration Helms. Come on, I'll show you!"

She dashed down the hall, and Matagu followed, scratching his head. She'd been talking so fast that it'd been hard for him to even follow. He shrugged. He didn't think he'd ever understand all this, but at least it wasn't boring.

They passed Keiichi's room, where he sat staring at a box of spare parts with a frustrated look on his face while Mizuho looked on with concern, then hurried into the Skuld Labs. Matagu blinked repeatedly at the bizarre helmets that were hanging from a device that looked like something out of that Frankenstein movie he'd seen when he was a kid.

It was a moment before he could say anything. "And that's going to work?"

"Of course!" Skuld said, a hint of anger in her voice. She picked up one of the helmets, making the mass of wires attached to its top swing back and forth. "All I have to do is make the memories that my sister and Mizuho have that aren't supposed to be theirs switch back. I've been up all night on this, it has to work!"

Matagu had his doubts, but he smiled anyway, as Keiichi had mentioned that she tended to throw bombs or sticky curses when she was upset. "I'm sure it will," he said, smiling a little too hard. He then noticed the piles of ice cream tubs, and understood. Even goddesses can get a sugar high, he thought.

"Shido-san?"

A voice came from behind him, and for a second he wasn't sure if it was Belldandy or Mizuho. Then he remembered that he and Skuld had passed Mizuho, so it had to be the goddess. He turned, and smiled at Belldandy. "Good morning."

"Good morning," she said brightly. "Is everyone ready?"

"Of course, big sister!" Skuld said, still hyper. "Drag the others in here and let's get started!"

Matagu and Belldandy nodded, then headed off in opposite directions. After telling Keiichi and Mizuho that Skuld was ready, Matagu returned to his own room, and walked softly over to where Peorth still lay.

He looked down at her for a moment, then kneeled and sat back on his heels. He'd once heard that, no matter what a woman was like, she was an angel while he slept. While it seemed strange to apply that to a goddess, he could see that it was true. He knew that if he stayed here by her side long enough, he'd forget everything that he'd been wondering about, whether this was just a job for her or not, and he wouldn't care. He sighed. It would be too easy to do, he knew that. And he had to admit, there were some good things about the idea. But after what he'd seen of his friends here, even if their relationships were all messed up, they still cared for each other - it wasn't something that they would just say, something they would throw away as soon as there was reason to end it.

Matagu shook his head, then rubbed his eyes. He wasn't making any sense, even to himself. Keiichi living with a goddess he'd wished to be forever by his side, and Kei living with their half-alien teacher - how could he base anything resembling a normal relationship on them?

But why, he thought as his eyes settled on Peorth again, why would he want to have a normal relationship when he could be with a goddess?

He stopped just short of smacking himself. He had to stop thinking about that, it'd just drive him crazy. Besides, how could he wish for her to be with him like Keiichi had with Belldandy?

Peorth stirred, and slowly opened her eyes, looking up at him. Matagu felt his face turn red and swallowed hard. He felt that wish becoming much easier to ask for.

"Matagu-kun. . . ." she murmured, sounding as though she was still half-asleep. She sat up partway, pulled her arms out from under the cover, and reached for him. He found himself unable to move, and sat just short of paralyzed as she pulled him close. . . .

. . . and hugged him. No teasing, no flirting, no telling of how she was the best or any mention of service. Just a warm hug. It didn't take long for him to unfreeze himself and return the embrace. She was warm, more than he'd thought she'd be, and he didn't think it was just because she'd spent all night under the cover. After a moment, he just stopped thinking entirely, and gave himself over completely to holding her.

He had no idea how long it was before one of them started to let go, nor did he think he'd ever be sure who had started it. All he knew was that he felt better than he had in as long as he could remember.

He remembered the time when he and Kei and Hyosuke had been sitting around on a warm summer day, and when asked about how things were going with Kaede, Hyosuke had been able to say little more than how it was going great and he had 'this feeling all over.' Looking down at the goddess in his arms, Matagu began to understand how some things just couldn't be put into words.

"Matagu . . . ?" Peorth murmured again.

"Peorth?" he whispered.

She looked into his eyes for a moment, just long enough for him to start to get lost, then began smiling. "You snore."

He paused, blinked, then started to laugh at the same time she did. He felt all the tension and worry run out of his body, then collapsed on the futon next to her.

"Skuld says her machine's ready," he said, still chuckling. "Mizuho and Belldandy are probably waiting for us."

"Oh, if we must," she said, pulling herself the rest of the way out of bed. "But I'm taking a bath after this."

Matagu nodded as he stood, and the two of them headed down the hall.

Urd smirked at them as they entered Skuld's room. "What's the matter, kid, have trouble getting out of bed?"

"S-something like that," Matagu said, feeling himself turn red again. He looked to where Mizuho and Belldandy were laying, side by side on the floor with the strange helmets on their heads. Kei and Keiichi were sitting next to them, and both of them seemed worried. Mizuho looked very nervous, while Belldandy looked peaceful. He wondered if anything ever really bothered her.

"You're sure this is going to work, Skuld?" Kei asked. He sounded like he was trying to keep his voice steady.

"Of course it'll work!" Skuld said. She was hunched over her work station, typing furiously with one hand while adjusting a dial on a control panel next to her at the same time. "It has to work, because I'm . . . a genius!"

Skuld launched into a laugh reminiscent of Urd's earlier one, and Matagu winced. Next to him, he saw Peorth cringing.

"You about ready to get started on this, sis?" Urd asked. She was sitting in the corner opposite Skuld, and had the tangled illusion of the patterns of holy energy hanging in the air in front of her again. Several of the strands, Matagu noticed, were the same blue-green as the one he'd nearly run into when he woke up. "I've got a hold on the energy you're working with, so I should be able to trace it back."

"Right!" Skuld tapped three more keys, then looked back to everyone else. "Skuld Mark VII Hyperspeed Mind Restoration Helms, go!"

The entire room went dim, and the helms that Belldandy and Mizuho wore began to glow bright blue. Matagu heard Peorth gasp next to him, and he could understand - it looked almost the same as she had when she'd been about to grant his wish. Bursts of green and purple light traveled through the wires that connected the two helmets, flickering and dancing around them and the women. Nobody moved and no one said anything until the lights died down. After a moment of hopeful silence, Mizuho and Belldandy looked at each other.

"Belldandy-chan?"

"Mizuho-san!"

"Whoops! I forgot to reverse that one. . . ." Skuld tapped in a few more numbers just as the two women started to reach for each other and Keiichi and Kei started to scream.

The play of lights and energy began again, though only for a moment, and when the energy faded, Mizuho and Belldandy both sat up quickly.

"Keiichi-san!"

"Kei-kun!"

Matagu blinked twice, then sighed with relief. By the time he'd done that, Belldandy and Keiichi were holding each other tight, while Mizuho and Kei were kissing with more passion than he'd expected from either of them. Matagu was happy for them all, but he couldn't help suddenly feeling very lonely.

From behind him, he felt Peorth drape an arm around his shoulders and lean over to whisper in his ear. "There's still more to come, cheri, don't you worry. You and I, we're not done yet."

Matagu looked over at her and started to smile, doing his best not to break into a big silly grin.

"Believe me, I hate to break all this up," Urd said, drawing everyone's attention, "but I found the answer to our little problem."

Everyone turned to look at Urd - even Skuld, who was already trying to push Keiichi and Belldandy apart. The dark-skinned goddess was holding a single strand of blue energy that twisted back and forth in the air. It was the same bright blue as Peorth's energy, Matagu could tell, but there was a thin band of dark red wrapped all around it.

Peorth gasped, then leaned forward to stare at what Urd held. "That's what happened?" she asked, sounding like she found it hard to believe. "To me?"

"Yeah, even to you," Urd said with a nod. "The energy trace worked, but I wasn't the first one to do it. You got snagged by a demoness."

"Oh, no," Belldandy said, looking from her sister to Peorth and back again. "Do you think--"

"I do," Urd said, winding the stream of energy around her fingers. "I know that signature. It's Mara."

* * *

"Urd Interspatial Slide Technique!"

"No, we'll use the Skuld Ultra-Delivery Gun!"

"Not that again," Peorth said wearily. "Do you not remember what happened last time?"

Keiichi did a maneuver remarkably similar to the classic duck-and-cover behind one of the kitchen chairs while Urd and Skuld glared at each other. The others in the room - namely, everyone who hadn't been dealing with goddesses for more than two days - looked more confused than anything.

"Don't you think we should figure out where she is first?" Belldandy asked, looking at both of her sisters in turn. "If she was close enough to affect Peorth, she might be closer to your hometown." She nodded at Kei, Mizuho, and Matagu.

"You never know with Mara," Urd said, shaking her head. "Besides, if she knows we're coming she'll make herself scarce unless she has something planned."

"Can you show me what she looks like?" Mizuho asked, and the three goddesses looked at her.

"Yes," Urd said slowly, "but what good will that do?"

"I have something that might help," Mizuho said. She looked up toward the ceiling, but at nothing in particular. "Marie, can you hear me? Teleport yourself to me, it's priority one!"

A moment later, there was a soft glowing aura over Mizuho's shoulder, and a strange yellow-suited humanoid being with a conical head and a round, flat face appeared there. It seemed to be floating with the help of a small orange inner tube. Once it had faded in completely, it glanced around, then put its small hands to the sides of its head in confusion.

"Noh?"

"This is Marie, my ship's maintenance computer," Mizuho began. That was as far as she got before Skuld stepped close to her and began examining Marie from about an inch away.

"Full teleportation ability in something that small, combined with long-range vocal sensory and response to command--"

"Stop drooling, kid," Urd said, snatching the back of Skuld's shirt and dragging her back from Mizuho, who looked a bit relieved. Urd held up one hand, and an image appeared above her palm. The woman she showed had more than a passing resemblance to Urd herself; they shared the same dark skin and long hair, though the demoness's was curlier and more blond than silver. But the marks on her forehead were distinctly different, as was her expression. "That's Mara," Urd said. "Now what?"

"Marie, find that woman," Mizuho said, holding Marie close to Urd's hand. "Can you get a lock on her?"

Marie leaned close to the image, and focused for a moment. It then turned its head nearly all the way around and blinked at Mizuho. "Noh? Noh!"

"I don't care if she's scary!" Mizuho said, suddenly angry. "Just teleport all of us to her now! It's priority one!"

"What happens now?" Matagu asked Kei nervously.

"Ehh. . . ." Kei smiled, also seeming nervous. "Now we go somewhere else . . . it's kind of a weird feeling."

"Noh!"

The soft aura flashed around the entire group, and with a soft hum, they disappeared.


	5. Part 1:5: Demon Ex Machina

Onegai, Megami-Sama!

Part 1-5: Demon ex Machina

Matagu had the odd sensation of not quite being in one place or the other for a moment, and when it faded, he found himself standing with the others in a field that he knew to be near his hometown. He glanced around quickly, searching for the demoness, then wondered just why he was so eager to get himself into trouble.

The answer came to him quickly - for Peorth, of course. Once she got her connection to Yggdrasil back, she could grant his wish. He was still trying to work out exactly what his wish should be, but he had an idea.

"Mara!" Urd called, stepping out in front of the group and looking around the field, across the grasses to the trees at the edge and the tall telephone poles in the near distance. "Come on out, we know you're here!"

There was a puff of smoke high up in the air, a short distance away from the group. As the smoke blew away, a figure was revealed, the same one that Urd had shown in illusion only a few minutes ago.

"Bwa ha ha! It's been too long, Urd." Mara leered down at the group, then sat down in the air with her legs crossed. She reached into the leather jacket she wore and pulled out what looked like a crystal with wires sticking out of it. The crystal was glowing bright blue. "You looking for this?"

Skuld gasped. "That's my tracer crystal structure . . . I was supposed to have that delivered three weeks ago!"

"Not my fault your mailman's an idiot and let me convince him I was you," Mara said with a shrug. "And what's a kid like you want with something like this?"

"She's got a point there," Urd said, turning to Skuld and raising an eyebrow at her. "What were you going to use that to trace, anyway?"

Skuld looked nervous for a moment, then bared her teeth. "It's none of your business, so give it back!" She pulled out a sphere with several large loops sticking out of it, and brought her arm back to hurl it at Mara. "Skuld Bomb, away--"

"No!" Belldandy put her hand on Skuld's arm. "If you hit her, and break the crystal, Peorth might not be able to get her connection to Yggdrasil back!"

"Oh, really," Mara said, turning around in the air to face Peorth. "I wondered just who I'd snagged with this thing. Who are you, anyway?"

Peorth stepped forward and stood proudly, carrying herself as though she still had all her abilities as a goddess. Matagu couldn't help smiling - it was a side of her that he liked to see. "I am Peorth of the Roses, Goddess First Class, Type Two Unlimited, and I demand that you return that crystal to me!"

"Hah!" Mara dangled the crystal from its wires, letting it swing back and forth far above the ground. "Nothing you can do about it, is there? Looks like you're not much of a goddess without this."

Urd stepped back to the rest of the group, and turned to talk over her shoulder. "Any ideas? I'd rather not try to fight her head-on, she'll probably drop the crystal on principle."

"Can't you just talk her out of it?" Keiichi asked. "I thought you two were friends, you've been like that before, when we were at that hot springs place."

"That was because we had a truce," Urd said tersely. "She's not going to honor that now, not when she has Peorth in the palm of her hand like that." She glanced over at the other goddess. "No offense."

"None taken, dear Urd," Peorth said flatly. She looked at Kei and Mizuho, then at Matagu. "Any thoughts?"

Kei gave a strained grin. "I think this is kind of out of our league," he said uneasily. He glanced over at Mizuho, who just shook her head.

"Maybe if we could get her to come down here?" Matagu offered. "Or can she just get away like Urd and Skuld were talking about?"

"She's a demoness, not a goddess," Belldandy said, "but she's capable of many of the same kinds of things. We may have to find some way to get her to give it up willingly."

"Are you saying we'll have to bargain?" Peorth asked, her eyes wide. "With a demoness?"

"I heard that!" Mara yelled, glaring down at the group of them. "Keep that up and I'll crush this thing, rose girl!"

Peorth bristled, and she and Urd both turned to glare at the demoness. Mara cackled, and tossed the crystal up into the air, then caught it just before it fell past her. Stifling a gasp, Peorth looked over to Skuld.

"Skuld? Do you know what'll happen if the crystal breaks?"

"Nope," the young goddess said. "Could be nothing, could be anything. They're not really meant to store energy, just find out where it goes and where it comes from. And if I could just get a clear shot. . . ."

"Whatever you're hiding, no," Urd said.

"Noh!"

Urd and the rest of the group looked over to Marie, who was standing on Mizuho's shoulder with a frustrated look on its face. Mizuho looked embarrassed for a moment, then waved her hand.

"I know she's scary," Mizuho said to Marie, "but we can't just leave."

"Oh, I'm scary?" Mara dangled the crystal from her finger again, and smirked down at Peorth. "What about having to live as a mortal forever? Wouldn't that be scary, Peorth?"

Peorth tensed, and she started to say something, then paused. She started to withdraw, then nearly jumped when Matagu put his hand on her shoulder.

"Maybe that would," he said, blushing faintly, "but . . . we'd work it out, right?"

"Of course you would!" Belldandy said, turning to the two of them with her hands folded in front of herself. "Even if you were mortal, Peorth, we'd still be friends, and you two would help each other, of course!"

Matagu and Peorth both blinked at Belldandy.

"I think we still have other things to worry about, Bell," Keiichi said, though he was smiling faintly.

"Oh, so that's how it is for you two," Mara said, then laughed wickedly. She held her hand out toward the group, and Matagu was thrown upwards. He hung in the air next to Mara, flailing his arms and legs about, searching for something to hold onto.

"What are you-" Matagu yelled as he twisted himself around to face Mara. He was trying hard not to panic, though getting to fly like this did strike him as kind of fun. He shook his head, and glowered at Mara. "Put me down!"

Mara cackled again. "Hey, you asked!" She flicked her hand at Matagu, and he started to fall.

"Matagu!" Peorth dashed toward him, Kei and Mizuho right behind her. He screamed as the ground got closer and closer, then was jerked upward again like he was attached to a bungee cord. Behind him in the air, Mara kept laughing.

"I could do this all day," Mara cackled, letting Matagu bounce down near the ground again and whipping him back up.

"Lift me up," Peorth whispered frantically, motioning for Kei and Mizuho to come closer. When Matagu dropped toward the ground again, the two of them heaved Peorth into the air, and she reached for Matagu.

He had just enough time to gasp as Peorth slammed into him, knocking the breath from his lungs and pushing his face into her chest.

Mara blinked. "What the--"

"So sorry, cheri," Peorth whispered as the two of them were yanked back up into the air again.

"Mmeh mmkah," Matagu tried to say, not minding at all.

Peorth pulled herself over Matagu as he sailed back up toward Mara. The demoness, baring her teeth, swiped at Peorth with her free hand. Peorth leaped off of Matagu just as he dropped down toward the ground again, and latched onto Mara, reaching for the crystal.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Mara yelled, struggling to keep her hand away from Peorth's reach.

"Taking back what's mine, of course!" Peorth said, smiling with a determined look on her face. "For stealing from one such as I. . . ." She pulled herself over Mara's shoulder, then nearly flipped over her as the demoness turned over. ". . . you shall pay!"

"You think a lot of yourself, don't you?" Mara snorted, then elbowed Peorth hard in the stomach. She gasped, and slipped, only to grab onto Mara's legs. Peorth looked down at the ground, a little too far down for her to risk the fall. This, she thought as she looked up at the smirk on Mara's face, had not gone as planned.

"Bwa ha ha! Looks like it's time for you to choose, flower girl!"

Down on the ground, Peorth could see everyone else standing and looking up at them. Urd had an attack spell held ready, but Belldandy was holding her back, probably out of fear that Urd would hit Peorth or Matagu by accident. Skuld and Keiichi looked scared. Matagu himself was flying back up toward Mara, and looked a bit sick. His friends were still right below him, staring up in shock.

"Let's see who falls faster," Mara said, obviously enjoying this. She held out the crystal in one hand, then raised the other, bringing Matagu up to the same level. "Your power . . . or your boyfriend!"

Without even a gesture, Mara let them both drop. Matagu started to scream. Urd's attack spell flared. Mizuho said something Peorth couldn't make out, something about priorities. And in that second, she made her decision.

Peorth let go of Mara and dove toward Matagu.

She sailed through the air for just a moment before catching him from behind. She wrapped her arms around his chest, and rested her head on his shoulder, then sighed.

"Peorth!"

"Matagu-kun. . . ." She smiled at him as he looked over his shoulder. "You worry too much."

"But you're going to lose--"

"I'll manage," she said, giving him a squeeze. She then closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable.

Sure enough, a cushion of holy energy wrapped around them, carrying them gently to the ground. They landed safely, and Peorth looked over to see Belldandy glowing with a smile on her face. She nodded her thanks, then turned to look for the crystal. She gasped.

The crystal was dangling from a long wire, and Mara held the other end. The demoness was laughing maniacally. Peorth grimaced, and was about to yell for Urd to attack when the crystal suddenly glowed brighter, then was surrounded by a white aura.

Mara stopped laughing all at once, then stared down at her hand. All she held was the long wire. She glared down at the group, her teeth bared. "How did you--"

Mizuho held up the crystal in one hand, and patted Marie on the head with the other. "Getting it away from you was, of course, priority one," she called up to Mara. "Thank you!"

The demoness snarled and dove for them just as Mizuho handed the crystal to Peorth.

A burst of holy blue energy sparked forth from her hand, sending up a column of light that illuminated the area for nearly a mile around. A ring of blue burst out from the crystal, and Peorth began to glow. The diamond mark on her forehead grew bright and flared, and she began to float about an inch off the ground. Mara was thrown to the grass by the holy light, and shielded her eyes from the glare.

The show of light and energy was over almost as soon as it had begun, and when it faded, Peorth stood there, wearing the outfit she'd arrived in, holding the crystal in her hand. The crystal was now grey and dull, hardly even reflecting any light.

Peorth turned and looked at Mara, her eyes narrowed. The diamond on her forehead began to glow.

"Uh-oh," Mara muttered, then disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Kei blinked at where she'd been, then looked over at Urd, Belldandy, and Skuld. "Why didn't she just do that in the first place, if she didn't want us to get the crystal?"

"That's just the way Mara is," Urd said with a sigh. She let the holy energy around her hands dissipate, then ran her fingers through her hair. "She'd rather play with us than just give up."

"Do you think she'll be back?" Kei asked. "If she comes after Matagu, or Mizuho and I, then--"

"I wouldn't worry about that," Peorth said, looking over at Mizuho with a smile. "She knows you can thwart her, in your own way, right?"

Mizuho nodded, then gave Peorth a concerned look. "What about you, are you all right? Are you, Matagu?"

Matagu nodded quickly, then looked over at Peorth. She stood tall, stretched her arms back behind herself, then threw her hands forward. A cloud of rose petals burst forth, filling the air around the entire group. Peorth began laughing uncontrollably.

"Yeah," Urd said, blowing petals away from her face. "I think she's just fine."

* * *

A short while later, the nine of them arrived via Marie's teleport at the beach where Kei and Mizuho had their honeymoon. They had determined that, after everything that had happened over the past two days, they all needed a small vacation, and the beach had been easy for them to agree on.

Kei, Keiichi, and Matagu leaned back in three beach chairs, relaxing in the sun. Kei and Matagu weren't sure just where the beach chairs had come from, to say nothing of the towels and the large umbrella, but Keiichi assured them that sometimes it was best just not to ask, especially around the goddesses. It wasn't hard for them to agree.

The women were down at the water. Peorth, over-eager to indulge in her connection to Yggdrasil, had been more than happy to provide Mizuho with a swimsuit. After seeing the swimsuit, Kei had thanked her profusely while turning bright red.

Matagu thought about that as he watched the five women down in the ocean. It was easy to look at Mizuho in a different light, now that he knew she was Kei's wife. She was still beautiful, that was for sure, but he didn't feel the same way. He glanced over at Kei, who was also watching the women and looked completely at peace.

"Hey, guys?" Matagu asked.

"Hmm?" Kei looked over at him, a half-dreamy look on his face.

"Yeah?" Keiichi said.

"What's it like being married?"

Keiichi laughed, and put his hand behind his head as he grinned. "I'm not married, not yet I guess."

"But how long have you and Belldandy been together?" Matagu asked.

Keiichi thought for a moment. "Almost three years," he said.

"It's been most of a year for us," Kei said, and sighed. "But what's it like?" He shrugged. "It's hard to say. You learn everything about the person you're with, all the good things and all the bad things, everything you didn't know before you got married."

Matagu frowned at him, looking concerned. "Is that bad?"

Kei chuckled. "It's not always easy," he said, "but it's always worth it."

"You thinking about making the same wish I made?" Keiichi asked.

Matagu nearly yelped, and shook his head. "Not like that," he said quickly, then paused. "Maybe asking her to be my girlfriend, though . . . I've never even had a girlfriend before, I wouldn't want to start off with a wife." He chuckled weakly.

"You only get one wish, though," Keiichi said. He looked back down to the ocean, and the two other men followed his gaze. "Are you sure she's what you want to wish for?"

Matagu watched Peorth, watched her exclusively, finding it rather easy to cut out the other women from his personal picture. He thought about everything that had happened over the past two days, everything they'd been through together and all that she'd said to him. He took a moment to wonder . . . was he really just another job for her?

A single moment flickered through his memory, and he nodded to himself. She had chosen him over the crystal. She surely knew that Belldandy wouldn't let him get hurt if he fell, so she could have just let him go and gotten her connection to Yggdrasil back. But she'd gone after him instead. And he knew he'd have done the same for her, even if he didn't know they'd be saved.

Matagu looked over at Keiichi, and nodded. "I think I am," he said slowly. "I don't think there's anything else I'd want to wish for."

Keiichi smiled at him, and broke into a grin. "I know what you mean," he said. "I wouldn't change a thing, no matter what, even if I had the chance."

"I did have the chance, and I still didn't," Kei said quietly, then smiled and waved his hand when the other two looked at him strangely. "Don't worry about it. . . ."

"Kei-kun!"

"Keiichi-san!"

"Ma-ta-gu-kuuuuun!"

The three men all jumped at once, then looked at each other and laughed before heading down to the ocean.

* * *

It was after sunset when they finally left the beach. The three goddesses and Keiichi went back to the temple via a spell of Urd's, and Mizuho promised she'd stop by tomorrow for tea, pocky, and to get her car back. Belldandy of course offered her best wishes for all of them, looking particularly at Matagu and Peorth. Mizuho had Marie teleport them all back to their hometown, and when the white glow faded away, Matagu found himself standing back in his living room with Peorth.

She looked out the back window at the sky for a moment, then turned to him, wearing the smirking smile he'd come to like so much. "So, Matagu-kun," she said, walking slowly toward him, "there is still the matter of your wish."

"I - I've thought about that," he said nervously, rubbing at the back of his head and looking away from her. "And I guess . . . I wanted to ask you about it first."

"Oh, really?" She kicked her legs up, and floated in the air, laying on her stomach and folding her hands under her chin. "I'm all ears, cheri." She gazed at him, and it took him a second to recover after looking into her eyes.

Matagu took a deep breath, and decided he'd better just spit it out and ask before he lost his nerve and ended up asking for a new telescope or something. "I've never had a girlfriend," he began, "I'm sure you know that. So that's . . . well, that's what I wanted to wish for."

"A girlfriend?" Peorth asked, somehow managing to make it sound innocent. "Just any girlfriend? You should count yourself fortunate, dear boy, that I'm not one to have a wicked sense of humor."

"Not any girlfriend," Matagu said, then summoned courage he didn't know he had and grabbed both her shoulders. "You," he whispered. "If you want to, I wish you would be my girlfriend."

Peorth actually looked surprised, but only for a moment. "Just your girlfriend, then?" she asked coyly. "Not your wife, not by your side forever like Belldandy?"

"Well . . . maybe eventually," he said nervously, looking away from her for a moment. He still hadn't let go of her, though - he feared that he'd lose his nerve if he did. "But if you didn't want to be with me, then I really couldn't wish for that."

She looked at him, and smiled tenderly. "You are only the second mortal I've met who would say that," she said quietly. She cupped the side of his face in one hand, and floated down until her feet touched the ground, still looking him in the eye. "And for that, Matagu-kun, I will grant your wish."

He only had a second to be surprised before she pulled him close and kissed him.

He felt her lips on his and forgot everything, let himself go completely, made her the only thing that existed in his world. All he wanted to feel was her pressed against him, the warmth of her body, and the tingling of the holy energy that wrapped around them both as she granted his wish. At some point he realized that he'd never actually kissed anyone before, and that her tongue was doing things that he'd hardly even wondered about. It was an experience he'd never forget.

He had no idea how long they stayed like that, but when it was over, he held her close as they both caught their breath. She looked up at him, and he could see what she felt. He was sure she could see the same in him.

"Your wish," she whispered, "has been approved."

* * *

Matagu strolled through the familiar halls of his school, ready to begin his third year. He knew that things were going to be getting a lot more serious soon, and that he'd have to worry about college. However, the first thing he heard as he headed down the stairs toward his first class took his mind away from all of that.

"Have you seen the new girl?"

"She must be foreign or something, with those marks. . . ."

"I'm gonna ask her out!"

"You wouldn't have a chance!"

He did his best to keep from smiling too widely, and slid open the door to the familiar classroom. Kei was there, of course, as were Hyosuke and Kaede, Ichigo and Herikawa. However, there was a huge group of students, mostly boys, gathered around the front table. Matagu peered around them, then chuckled to himself.

Peorth was sitting there, her school uniform adorned with cloth roses, looking as though she was just loving all the attention. 'Peorth Bara' was written in flowing script on the chalkboard. She smiled and laughed at the things people said, then looked over to him. Her face lit up.

"Matagu-kun!" She kicked off of the table and shoved aside her admirers to get to him.

"Matagu-kun?" most of the boys and a few of the girls repeated, sounding utterly shocked.

He grinned, then opened his arms just in time for her to latch onto him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Peorth-chan!"

She kissed him then, in front of the whole class, utterly shameless. He loved every moment of it, and held her close when they were finished. He smiled, and put his hand behind his head as he'd seen Keiichi do more than once.

"He's finally lucky," Ichigo said, her voice flat as usual.

"Ehh?" Herikawa gave her a shocked look, drawing back.

Hyosuke looked equally surprised, but then broke into a fierce grin. "Matagu! I knew you had it in you!" He walked over and clapped Matagu on the back, nearly sending him tumbling. "Come on, tell us how it happened!"

"Umm. . . ." Matagu looked down at Peorth, a bit nervous. "It's kind of. . . ."

"Kind of a boring story, really," Peorth said, still clinging to him. "I was moving in, and I just happened to dial a wrong number. . . ."


	6. Interlude the First

Onegai, Megami-Sama!

Interlude the First

  
  


"Sir?"

"Yes?"

"We're getting some strange energy signature readings. Something's happening in the Sol sector."

"What kind of signature readings, Private?"

"It's not like anything we've ever seen before, sir. It doesn't match up with any known frequencies or patterns, but we do have some of the techies looking into it. For all we know, it could be anything from an inverted wormhole to a superintelligent shade of blue."

". . . I doubt that, Private."

"So do I, sir, I was just providing an example."

"I see. How many times have these readings shown up?"

"It's happened four times so far. You can see here, that's when the first one occurred, but it went beneath our notice. Not long afterward, there was a major spike with the same signature, then two more readings at the same level as the first, varying amounts of time apart from each other."

"I see. The only inhabited planet in the Sol system is Earth. On standard Earth time, how far apart would those readings be?"

"About three minutes between the first and second, less than an hour between the second and third, and about eight hours between the third and fourth. It appears that a Marie system is in use, sir."

"Interesting. What can you tell about the energy from those readings?"

"Very little, sir. The spike nearly sent our systems here into a crash, we had to turn down the sensitivity just to catalog it. We might have missed another reading during that time, but I doubt it. As I said, the signature doesn't match with anything we've measured before, and our initial search through the database turned up empty."

"Were you able to get any properties on the energy signature?"

"Only that there was more raw power there than anything we've ever seen. Even the lower readings were more than triple the usual power needed for use of a Marie or Miruru system, or any of the lower-grade systems."

"I see. Do we have any agents working in the Sol system, Private?"

"Negative, sir. Last known agent in that system . . . Kazami, Mizuho. Pulled from duty and placed on remedial due to illegal use of equipment and physical contact with one of the subjects of her observation."

"What's her current location?"

"Unknown, sir. She never showed up for remedial, and hasn't been seen since. There was never any investigation into her location that I know of."

"What type of transport system did Kazami use?"

"Her ship was equipped with a Marie system, sir. Do you think there's a connection?"

"Possibly. Keep monitoring the Sol system, and notify me if that energy signature shows up again."

"Yes, sir."


	7. Part 2:1: The Power Of Coincidence

Onegai, Megami-Sama!

Part 2-1: The Power of Coincidence

Matagu settled into the bath and tried to relax. Everything he'd heard about the last year of high school was true, he thought; soon, it'd be time to deal with exams and trying to get into college. They hadn't even started yet and he was already starting to feel the stress. He'd once heard someone say that stress was when you woke up screaming and realized that you hadn't fallen asleep yet, and kind of hoped that wouldn't happen to him.

He chuckled at that. There would be time to worry about exams later, he thought as he leaned forward and reached for a washcloth. Today, he was heading back to Okinawa with his friends, as Yamada-sensei had another jinriki competition and he'd said he would need their help. He would have the weekend, and then he could start worrying about the future. He started to scrub his back, then paused when he felt more hands there than his own.

"Matagu-kun. . . ."

He turned, slowly, looking over his shoulder to see Peorth kneeling next to the bathtub wearing only a towel and a smile. He froze. Some part of him said that he should be used to this sort of thing - it wasn't the first time she'd appeared out of nowhere, and it wasn't that he didn't like having her around as much as possible.

Her showing up when he was in the bath, though, was enough to make his brain lock.

"I'm here to wash your back, cheri," she said, giving him the smirking smile that he knew so well. "Scoot!"

"Umm . . . Peorth. . . ." Matagu turned away, blushing furiously and trying to hide it. Some things, he thought, he just couldn't get used to.

"Oh, hush, dear boy," she said, and he heard her towel hitting the floor, then the soft splash as she slid into the bath behind him. I'd never let anyone find me, you know that." He could feel her soft skin against his, and he started to tingle as her hands traced up his spine. "How could there possibly be a problem?"

There was a pounding on the washroom door. "Onii-chan! You're taking too long! What're you doing in there?"

Matagu sighed heavily. There was the problem, he thought; his little sister Haruko teased him mercilessly about his girlfriend, and she wasn't the only one.

While he and Peorth had only been together for a few weeks, talk about them had already gone through the school like crazy. There were a few people who'd tried to pick up on Peorth, but she'd just laughed, which Matagu had been a little relieved at. He knew she wouldn't cheat on him or anything like that; after all, he had wished for her to be his girlfriend. But he still couldn't help feeling a little unsure sometimes, though he wasn't really sure why. One of the other rumors was that he'd bribed her or something to get her to date him, but those kind of faded out after a while. Only the rumors that Kei and Mizuho were having an affair had made for more gossip. He still laughed at that; knowing the truth, hearing it as a rumor just seemed funny.

But so far, things had been going well. There was something fulfilling about being with her, Matagu thought, like nothing could ever really go wrong between them. Maybe that was because she was a goddess, or maybe it was because of his wish, but he didn't really feel like questioning it. Peorth had even met his parents, and while they'd been a little weirded out at first, it hadn't taken long for them to like her. She seemed to have that effect on people, Matagu thought. How lucky could he be?

From behind him, Peorth wrapped her arms around his chest and pulled him back until he was halfway in her lap and she was looking down at him upside-down. "You're lost in thought, I see," she said. "Dreaming of me, of course?"

"Of - of course," Matagu managed, then gave a silly smile. "I was just thinking . . . I'm really lucky to have you."

"Well, yes," Peorth said, her smile showing her usual complete lack of modesty. "Now, cheri, would you like me to wash your back, or shall we start with your front?"

Matagu swallowed hard. He still couldn't quite tell if she was teasing or not, but-

There was the sound of the phone ringing from outside, then Matagu's mother's voice a moment later. "Matagu! It's for you!"

He sighed, then looked up and back at Peorth. "That's probably about today," he said. "I should take this, or my mom's going to get suspicious."

Peorth pouted a little. "If you must. But I'll see you later, oui? I have some very, very good news for you."

Matagu nodded eagerly, wondering what she could have to say. He knew that she wouldn't tell until she was ready, but he had to admit he liked that about her. "I'll see you as soon as I get outside," he said, then reached down and squeezed her hand. "Promise."

Peorth gave him a quick kiss on his neck, then leaned back and disappeared in a glowing blue haze. Matagu looked back, and saw that one of his telescope lenses was stuck in the corner between the bath and the wall. He smiled. That, he thought, was definitely just like her.

After drying off as quickly as he could, Matagu finally got to the phone. "Hello?"

"Matagu? It's Kei."

"Hey, Kei. What's going on?"

"Mizuho's coming with us to Okinawa."

Matagu blinked. That wasn't what he'd expected to hear. "What?"

"Belldandy was over here this morning," Kei said, and Matagu could tell that his friend was smiling. "She looked so sad when she heard that Mizuho couldn't come with us to Okinawa because it'd look suspicious, so she and Peorth came up with something."

"Peorth was over there too?" Matagu asked quietly. He wasn't all that surprised, but she sure seemed to get around.

"Yeah, she said she felt that Belldandy was nearby. Anyway, Belldandy's going to say that she and the others are Peorth's cousins, and that Mizuho's an old friend of theirs. She can't lie, but she says it's true enough. They're going to meet us in Okinawa."

"Sounds good," Matagu said with a grin. "We're still meeting Yamada-sensei at Hyosuke's house, right?"

"At ten," Kei said. "I might be a little late, are you and Peorth going to be there on time?"

"You know Peorth, we'll be there."

"Right," Kei said with a small laugh. "I'll see you then."

Matagu was still grinning as he hung up the phone. This just kept getting better, he thought. A small vacation with a big group of friends, getting out where he could be with them and with Peorth and not be bothered by anything. Okay, maybe not anything but Hyosuke's friendly joking or Ichigo's oddly sober comments, but he was used to that.

He packed quickly, eager to get going. As soon as he was out the front door, the peephole's lens started glowing bright blue, and then Peorth was there again, glomping onto him from behind as though they'd never been separate. She was dressed now, in a white shirt with roses along the seams and a pair of jeans with elaborate embroidery up both legs. "So, are you pleased at our arrangements for the beach?" she asked, squeezing. "Things worked out rather perfectly, if I do say so myself."

Matagu turned himself around and hugged her for a moment, then idly wondered if Yamada-sensei had gotten them all rooms at the same hotel as last time. He then stopped wondering before his mind went places that would make it lock up again. "Sounds like it'll be great," he said, pulling back from their hug. "And it'll be good to see Keiichi and Belldandy again, we haven't seen them since everything happened."

"You haven't, that is," Peorth said with a smile. "But yes! Off to meet the others, then to a weekend of sun!" She wrapped her arms around Matagu's arm, and the two of them headed off.

As always, it didn't take long for them to walk anywhere - one of the good things about living in a small town, Matagu thought. They reached Hyosuke's house in about ten minutes, where he was waiting on the porch. Hyosuke looked like he was already set to get moving, dressed in a tank top and swim trunks and wearing a red bandana to hold back his unruly blond hair. He waved eagerly at Matagu and Peorth as they approached.

"Good morning!" he called loudly, grinning so widely it looked as though his face might split in half. "Good to see you here, everyone else should be here soon!"

"But of course!" Peorth said as she walked up the stairs onto the porch with Matagu. "And there will be more once we're in Okinawa."

Hyosuke's smile faltered for a second, and he looked confused. "What?" he asked.

"We'd have been here sooner," she said, "but I was talking to my cousins, they live near Okinawa. I invited them to come join us, and they have a friend who's coming too. That should be fine, oui?"

"Ah-ha!" Hyosuke made a dismissive gesture, and kept grinning. "Oh, sure, that'll be great. More fun with more people, right?"

"Right," Matagu said with a nod. "I've met them, they're a little weird sometimes but they're a lot of fun."

"Oh, really?" Hyosuke asked, then gave Matagu a sly smile. "Already meeting her family, eh? I didn't think you'd be moving that fast."

Matagu felt himself turning red, and stammered as he tried to say something. He glanced over to Peorth, hoping for some help, but she just smirked and held onto his arm tighter. "Umm," he managed, "it's - it's really. . . ."

"You shouldn't say anything to others about moving fast, Hyosuke."

The three of them turned at the sound of the quiet, calm voice, and saw Ichigo standing there with Herikawa and Kaede. The three of them were dressed casually, and carried small travel bags for the trip. Kaede was holding her hands to her cheeks, as though to hide her blush. Herikawa looked somewhere between amused and upset, and Ichigo . . . well, there really wasn't any way to tell, Matagu thought.

Hyosuke frowned a little, then crossed his arms over his chest. "Bah, Ichigo, you think too much." He shrugged. "Hey, did you girls see Kei on your way over?"

"Nope," Herikawa said as the three girls walked up onto the porch. She and Ichigo sat down, and the rest of them followed suit. Kaede sat next to Hyosuke, still blushing. "He should be along soon, though; maybe he had to finish packing."

"You don't have a bag, Peorth," Ichigo said quietly. "You don't need much?"

"Oh - not at all, dear Ichigo," Peorth said, giggling a little. "My things are with Matagu-kun's, I don't need much other than my swimsuits if we're going to the beach."

"I see." Ichigo still looked like she knew a lot more than she was letting on, Matagu thought. But that was nothing new.

"Yeah, and Peorth says we're going to meet more people in Okinawa!" Hyosuke said, calling it out as though it was big news. "Her cousins are coming along too."

"That sounds good," Herikawa said, looking over at Peorth. "I didn't know you had cousins there." She didn't sound all that enthusiastic, Matagu thought.

"They're nearby, but when I told them of our plans, they simply had to come," Peorth said, posing with her hand to her head. Matagu chuckled; even the little things were dramatic with her. "They'll bring my middle cousin's boyfriend and another friend, but I'm sure we'll all get along splendidly."

"I hope so," Kaede said, "it'd be nice to have everyone together at the beach again, even with more people."

"Yes, definitely!" Hyosuke said, then leaped to his feet and waved again. "Hey! Kei! About time you got here!"

"Sorry I'm late," Kei said as he joined the rest of them on the porch. "I couldn't find my toothbrush."

Peorth gave Matagu a gentle nudge, and he did his best to keep himself from smiling. He had a few guesses about why Kei had been late, though he didn't think there was all that much reason for him to say a long goodbye to Mizuho; they'd be together again later that day. Then again, the two of them would have to spend the whole vacation hiding. Again. Maybe he could understand. . . .

"Hello, Kei," Ichigo said with a small smile, then added, "you didn't have time to brush your hair."

"Eh?" Kei's hand flew to the top of his head, and he pushed down a few hairs that were sticking up out of place. "Sorry, I was in a real hurry, I didn't want to be late."

There was the sound of a horn honking from around the side of the house, and Hyosuke cheered.

"Time to go!" he yelled, and pulled Kaede to her feet. He grabbed both their bags, then raced around the house, just short of pulling her along with him.

"He still gets too excited about everything," Herikawa said with a sigh, then shrugged. "C'mon, let's get going."

* * *

Sun, sand, surf. . . . Okinawa was as beautiful as Kei remembered it. He leaned back and took a deep breath as soon as they all climbed out of Yamada-sensei's van, taking in the smell of the ocean. He had so many memories here . . . naturally, his honeymoon with Mizuho was first in his mind, but coming here with Matagu and Keiichi and the others a few weeks ago had also been great.

Matagu and Peorth walked up next to Kei, both stretching. "It's good to be back, oui, Matagu-kun?" Peorth asked, then leaned over toward Matagu and did something that Kei couldn't see. Whatever it was, it made Matagu jump and blush.

Kei had to smile at the two of them. It had only been a few weeks, and Matagu still acted like he was new to all this; Kei guessed that he really was. Not that he could claim much more experience himself, but there were things. . . . He shook his head, hoping that he wasn't blushing. Maybe he wasn't all that different from Matagu, he thought.

"It doesn't feel like it's been all that long," Matagu said a moment later, then asked quietly, "You don't think that demoness is going to try something again, do you? We're all going to be together, and she might think it's her best chance."

Peorth put the back of her hand to her head, then laughed out loud, making Kei and the others look over in confusion. "Not a worry, dear boy," she said quietly, draping an arm around his waist. "Urd's told me enough of that one, and I'm sure I could handle her with little trouble. With the four of we goddesses here, Mara wouldn't dare try a thing."

Matagu seemed to relax a little. "Okay, good. Are they going to find us, or are we going to meet them?"

"I'm not sure," Kei said. "Belldandy seemed to think we'd just run into each other, but knowing her, that's probably what'll happen. Keiichi told me about that when we were there, things just seem to work out around her."

Matagu nodded. A moment later, there was a muttering of "oi" from Yamada-sensei at the front of the van.

"Hey, Matagu, Peorth! Kei! Come help us unload!" Hyosuke called.

"You've no need to worry," Peorth said quietly as she and Matagu walked over with Kei to help the others. "Do you think we goddesses couldn't manage a simple chance meeting?"

It was another few hours before they finished unloading the jinriki equipment and got Yamada-sensei's campsite set up, and by then the group of them were just about desperate to get down to the beach. They ran down the hill and across the street, then plowed into the sand, heading for the ocean.

"Yea-hah!" Hyosuke stripped off his shirt and bandana as he ran, then yelled "Hyosuke dive!" and leaped into an onrushing wave. He surfaced a second later, and shouted, "That's cold!"

"Hyosuke!" Herikawa yelled, then glanced over at Kaede, who was giggling. She just shook her head, then shouldered her bag. "Let's go find the changing room," she said, looking to Peorth and Ichigo.

"Right," Kei said, "Matagu and I will meet you back here." He waved to the women as they walked off, and wondered if they'd run into the others first. He kind of hoped that they wouldn't. Keeping his marriage to Mizuho a secret was hard enough sometimes, being around her with the others while having to act like just another student was even worse.

Matagu and Kei started heading down the beach. Once the girls were out of earshot, Matagu asked, "So, Mizuho's going to be here with Belldandy and the others?"

"Yeah," Kei said with a nod and a small smile. "It's a little too much of a coincidence for me, but it's better than not having her around."

Matagu shrugged. "It sounds good," he said. "Nobody really knows anything about where Peorth or Mizuho are from, so they could have known the same people." He looked up ahead, then said, "Hey, there's the room."

Kei looked, and saw a closed-off area made of what looked like bamboo. The sides were high enough to keep anyone from looking over, and there was a door on the side closest to them. He and Matagu walked over and opened the door.

They had only a second to realize that they were in the wrong place before a short black-haired girl yelled "You pervert!" and they both went flying backwards onto the sand. As he lay there, his head spinning, Kei swore he felt something sticking to his face.

"Don't you think that was a little much, kid?"

"But Urd! They - oh. Sorry, guys!"

Kei raised his head, and saw Urd and Skuld standing in the changing room's doorway. Urd looked amused, while Skuld looked sort of sheepish. Both were wearing swimsuits, though Urd's tiger-striped two-piece made Skuld's athletic one-piece look more modest than it really was.

"Sorry about that," Skuld said, walking to where Kei and Matagu lay in the sand. "But you shouldn't have walked into the women's changing room!"

Matagu looked up, and blinked around the 'pervert' emblazoned across his face. "This isn't the coincidence I was imagining," he said, then shook his head.

"Kusanagi-san! Shido-san!"

Kei and Matagu looked further into the changing room at the voice, which sounded so much like Mizuho that it was hard to tell the difference. Belldandy stood there, looking a little distraught. She was also wearing a swimsuit, a plain one-piece that still looked beautiful on her. She looked over at Skuld, and started to frown.

"Skuld, what happened?" she asked.

"They opened the door, oneesan," Skuld said, looking a little ashamed.

"It must have been an accident," Belldandy said. "Could you take the words off of them, please?"

Kei couldn't help smiling at that as Skuld waved her hand at him and he felt the stickiness leave his face. No matter how much Skuld's temper flared, all Belldandy had to do was ask nicely, and all was well. Then again, he thought, Belldandy seemed to have that effect on people; even when she'd showed up at his house thinking she was his wife, she'd never seemed anything more than a little upset, and that was only when he thought he was teasing her. She truly was a goddess to be like that, he thought as he got to his feet.

"It's good to see you both again," Belldandy said pleasantly, then looked over her shoulder. "Mizuho! Your husband is here."

Kei glanced around quickly for a second, then relaxed. The last thing he needed, he thought as Matagu chuckled, was for the others to show up right now. If they overheard Belldandy saying he was Mizuho's husband, he didn't know what he would do. Sure, there were times when he wished that he didn't have to keep things a secret, but that would just make things more complicated. . . . How could he explain what happened to his friends? How could he do that without telling them the truth about her?

And, he thought as she stepped into view from inside the fitting room, how was he going to keep himself from staring at her the entire time they were at the beach if she was wearing a swimsuit like that?

Mizuho was wearing a low-cut black two-piece with a magenta trim that matched her hair perfectly. It looked kind of like the suit she'd packed, Kei thought, but there had been more of it when he'd seen it last. He could already feel his face turning red. She was also blushing a little, but she was giving Kei a smile that he knew well.

"So, you like the suit, Kei?" Urd asked, giving him a nudge and a wink. "The one she brought with her was pretty plain, so I spiced it up a little."

Kei swallowed hard, then managed to say, "It - it looks great."

"Kei-kun," Mizuho said with a smile, "I'm glad you're here so soon, but where's everyone else?"

"Oh, right," Matagu said with a nod, putting a hand to his forehead. He'd been staring too, Kei noticed, and managed to keep himself from glowering at his friend. "They went to go find a changing room--" he paused, suddenly realizing something, then looked over at Kei. "They probably found the men's changing room, they'll be over here soon!"

"No problem, I can make you guys disappear!" Skuld exclaimed. "Just let me--"

Kei and Matagu ducked at the same time, and looked rather relieved when Belldandy gently shook her head at Skuld.

"It's all right, Skuld," she said calmly. "We worked it all out this morning, because we still have secrets to keep. We're saying that Matagu met us a little after he met Peorth, and that she's our cousin."

"So just act like you're surprised to see Mizuho here," Urd said to Kei. "Shouldn't be anything new for you two."

Kei put a hand to the back of his head nervously. Nothing new, that was true, but he had a bad feeling about this.

* * *

Herikawa walked across the beach with the other girls, listening as Peorth tried to chat up Kaede for gossip about her relationship with Hyosuke. She sighed. She should have known it'd be like this, but she couldn't help the way she felt.

While she wasn't the only one of their circle of friends who wasn't dating anyone, she felt like she was the only one who was bothered by it. Even if Ichigo was her best friend, Herikawa still could almost never tell what the shorter girl was thinking. If being single bothered her at all, she never showed it, though she had once said that her dream was to find someone. For all she knew, Herikawa thought, Ichigo already had a boyfriend and just wasn't sharing.

And then there was Kei. . . . She sighed. There had been a time when she'd wanted to be with him, though something had happened, and he had rejected her. Maybe not rejected, she thought, looking off toward the ocean wistfully, but he had said that he liked someone else. She didn't really remember what came of that - some parts of it were still fuzzy in her memory, like she was trying to forget as much of it as she could. Could it be that she still liked him? Or was it that he was the only guy she really knew well, and that he also wasn't seeing anyone? Besides, there had been those rumors about Kei and Mizuho. They'd gone away pretty quickly, but there was also the time she'd seen him and some older woman . . . going into a. . . .

She shook her head. Maybe she was just thinking about this too much. It was always easy to think that the one who wasn't with anyone might want to be with you. She laughed a little to herself as she remembered the time that Hyosuke had suggested that Matagu consider Ichigo, and the other girl's blunt response. It was just the way people were, she thought, to try and find someone, even if it was just because that person was close.

But that didn't make things any easier.

Herikawa came to a sudden stop as she bumped into Kaede. She looked up to see that they'd come to what looked like a changing room, though the sign next to the door showed that this was the one for men.

Peorth looked over at the others, seeming surprised. "It seems we've sent the boys to the girls' room," she said, starting to laugh.

A second later, the door swung open, and a young man with black hair stepped out. He was about Kei's height, and was wearing blue swim trunks. He also had a towel slung over one shoulder. He paused as soon as he was out of the room, then grinned. "Peorth!"

"Keiichi!" Peorth exclaimed, and threw herself at the newcomer, hugging him. He looked a little embarrassed, and Herikawa crossed her arms over her chest, wondering if she should tell Matagu about this. Sure, it'd be mean, but if Peorth was acting like this toward other guys, he should know.

"Oh, I'm being rude!" Peorth said a second later, then pulled back and waved her hand at the other women. "Keiichi, this is Kaede, Herikawa, and Ichigo; they're friends of Matagu-kun. Everyone, this is Keiichi, my cousin Belldandy's love."

"Good to meet you," Keiichi said with an easy smile. "We just got here a little while ago, so Bell and the others are probably still changing."

He seemed all right, Herikawa thought, but she felt a little jealousy flaring at hearing that he was someone else's 'love.' She pushed it away as soon as she realized what she was thinking. Was she really feeling that petty, she thought, to get jealous of someone she'd just met?

"It's a strange coincidence to meet like this," Ichigo said calmly, looking directly at Keiichi.

"A little," Kaede said. "But it's good that we found you, so we can tell the others where they can change."

Keiichi nodded at her. "The women's room is down the beach, we should probably head over there."

"But of course!" Peorth said, gesturing dramatically. She linked arms with Kaede and Keiichi, and started walking back the way they'd come, practically dragging them.

"She's in a good mood," Ichigo said as she and Herikawa started to follow.

"She's always like that," Herikawa said with a sigh.

"Maybe she's just happy."

Herikawa looked down at the shorter girl with a frown, and saw that she wore the quiet smile that suggested she knew a lot more than she was telling. She should be used to that, Herikawa thought, but right now she really didn't feel like seeing it.

Herikawa looked to the ocean again, and said quietly, "So she's happy. That doesn't mean she has to act like she's in a play or something all the time."

"Maybe," Ichigo said, then was quiet for a moment. "But it's easier when everyone around you is happy."

She looked back to Ichigo, frowning a little, wondering what was on the other girl's mind. Ichigo looked up at her, and quietly said, "It's nothing."

Herikawa nodded, but couldn't help wondering.

It didn't take them long to reach the women's changing room, and Keiichi and Peorth made the introductions. Herikawa's eyes widened, first when she saw that Mizuho was the 'friend' that Peorth's cousins had brought along, then again when she met Peorth's cousins. Belldandy and Urd were beautiful in a way that she couldn't describe or deny, and she started to feel a little sorry for herself. Even Skuld had a look that showed she'd be the same someday. How, she thought, could she possibly compete?

She, Ichigo, Kaede, and Peorth put on their swimsuits while Kei and Matagu walked with Keiichi back to the men's changing room. It was just as well, Herikawa thought; having to change in the same room as Peorth was bad enough, she didn't know what she'd have done if her cousins had been there also.

"Herikawa-san?"

At first, she thought the voice was Mizuho's, but when she looked over, Herikawa saw that Belldandy was giving her a concerned look. The others had finished and were walking out of the changing room, carrying towels and umbrellas, and Skuld was carrying what looked like some kind of barbeque.

"Are you all right?" Belldandy asked. "You seem upset, and I was--"

"I'm fine," Herikawa said, snapping a little.

"All right, if you say so," Belldandy said with a warm smile, then turned to follow the others.

Great, Herikawa thought. Belldandy might be pretty, but she seemed kind of clueless. Maybe that was why Keiichi was with her. She shook her head, surprised at her own thoughts. She'd just met these people, and. . . . She sighed. She wouldn't force herself to smile, but she could at least do her best to enjoy her time here.

The group of them stayed on the beach long past sundown, eating a dinner that Belldandy had packed and cooking on Skuld's small but very hot barbeque. When Ichigo asked about it, the young girl proudly said that she'd made it herself and she would have made it better except the later models kept bursting into flames. After she heard that, Herikawa scooted away from the barbeque as soon as Skuld wasn't looking. Mizuho and Belldandy told stories of how they'd grown up living near each other, and become close friends despite the difference in their ages. Urd drank heavily from a bottle of saké that she'd brought with her, and only laughed when Hyosuke said something about being able to drink more than her.

After a while, Herikawa let herself forget what she'd been worrying about, and just relaxed with her friends. She kept finding herself looking over at Kei, though, and for a moment, she wondered if it'd be worth it to try again. He looked like he was waiting for something, she thought, so maybe. . . .

The moon rose high into the sky, and the fire still burned. By now, Peorth and Urd were most of the way to drunk, as was Hyosuke, and Kaede was giggling at everything. Ichigo had a camera, though Herikawa wasn't sure where she'd been keeping it, and was snapping pictures. Belldandy never looked anything other than happy, except for when Skuld tried to push she and Keiichi apart.

At some point, Mizuho rose to her feet, and draped a towel over herself. "Did anyone see where the bathroom is?" she asked quietly.

"It's near the changing room," Kei said, and stood. "I'll show you."

"Thank you, Kusanagi-kun," Mizuho said with a smile.

Herikawa watched them walk off, and frowned a little as she remembered the old rumors. They couldn't be true, she thought, and she knew she was being silly, but. . . . She waited for a moment, then stood and followed them.

"Oi, Herikawa, where you going?" Hyosuke asked loudly.

"To the bathroom," she said, then shook her head at him. "You're drinking too much, Hyosuke."

"But this is good stuff!" He grinned, then tried to snatch the saké bottle from Urd, who yanked it away with ease.

Herikawa rolled her eyes, then hurried off toward where Mizuho and Kei had gone.

She had to know, she thought as she walked. Sure, it was just a stupid rumor, but Kei had acted all embarrassed about it, and so had Mizuho. But they were at least ten years apart, so it couldn't happen, right? She was a teacher and he was a student, and that sort of thing only happened in stories, right?

The bathroom wasn't far away, and she didn't see anyone there. She stopped, then started to laugh at herself. Maybe, she thought, she just needed to stop thinking about it all, she was starting to drive herself crazy. Of course, Kei and Mizuho couldn't be-

She saw something moving at the edge of the building's lights, and peered closer. There was someone there, just around the corner . . . and that was Mizuho's towel on the ground.

Herikawa gasped, and ran around the side of the building, then froze at what she saw. Kei and Mizuho were there, arms around each other. They were kissing, and not . . . not like some shy, young, innocent kind of couple. They were kissing like they meant it.

The rumors were true, Herikawa thought. The rumors were true, and this was why Kei had said he couldn't be with her, this was why Kei never seemed to worry about meeting someone and why Mizuho always avoided questions about the wedding ring she wore. . . . She felt her face grow cold, then warm, and then couldn't help herself.

Herikawa screamed.


	8. Part 2:2: Well, That Explains Everything

Onegai, Megami-Sama!

Part 2-2: Well, That Explains Everything

Mizuho felt Kei flinch at the same time she did, and they pulled away from each other as quickly as they could. But she'd heard the scream, and she knew it was too late.

She saw Herikawa standing there, just at the edge of the light outside the bathrooms. Her eyes and mouth were both wide open, and she looked like she couldn't believe what she'd seen. She was pointing at them, and kept starting to say something, but she hadn't managed a complete word yet.

Maybe, Mizuho, thought, it'd be better if she said something first. "It's - it's not what you think," she said, though quietly, and took a step toward Herikawa. "It's--"

"Don't even say it!" Herikawa yelled. Her eyes narrowed, and she glared at Mizuho. "Don't you dare say it's a misunderstanding! I know what I saw!"

"Herikawa. . . ." Kei began, then paused when she turned to look at him.

"I don't want to hear it!" she yelled. "You . . . you said that there was someone else, but you never said - I never thought - I can't believe you!"

Mizuho looked down, feeling a little sorry, but only because she could see that Herikawa wasn't taking this well. But she couldn't have stayed away from Kei this entire trip. It was difficult enough, seeing him at school and having to pretend that he was just another student; being here with him all day and not being able to even take his hand had been almost too much. They'd both hoped they could catch a moment together, but she hadn't thought anyone would follow them.

Behind Herikawa, Mizuho heard the others running to join them. Most of them looked worried; they must have heard the scream and thought someone was being attacked. She glanced over at Kei, who looked very troubled and wasn't taking his eyes off his friends.

"What happened?" Keiichi asked. "Did someone--" He paused, then looked from Herikawa to Mizuho to Kei and back again. "Uh-oh."

"Uh-oh?" Herikawa snapped, whipping her head around to look at Keiichi. "You knew?"

"Knew what?" Hyosuke asked, leaning a little on Kaede and still obviously drunk. "Why'd you scream?"

"We thought someone was trying to hurt you," Kaede said quietly. She looked at Herikawa, and asked, "You're okay, right?"

"I'm not okay!" Herikawa pointed at Mizuho and Kei. "I saw--"

"Here it comes," Keiichi said quietly to Belldandy, who nodded.

"-them kissing!"

Mizuho swallowed hard, and waited for the inevitable. It wasn't quite what she'd imagined.

Ichigo didn't move, but simply smiled as she always did, like she'd known all along. Hyosuke just stared with his mouth hanging open. Mizuho wondered if he was too drunk to really think about it. Kaede put a hand to her mouth, but she looked more surprised than anything else. Belldandy and Keiichi looked sorry to see that this had happened, but Urd was smiling a little, as was Skuld. She didn't see Peorth or Matagu, and guessed that they'd stayed back at the fire.

"Kei," Hyosuke managed after a moment, "you . . . and Mizuho-sensei?"

Kei nodded, looking very sheepish. She could see the blush in his cheeks, and as cute as it was, she wished that they could both be somewhere else right now.

"How long?" Hyosuke asked. He pulled himself away from Kaede, and took a few shaky steps toward Kei. "How long you been keeping this a secret?"

"It's . . . umm. . . ." Kei scratched nervously at the back of his head, and he looked like he was trying to keep himself from running. "A long time, I guess, since before she started teaching here."

"What?" Herikawa asked, her eyes wide again. "Is that why you came here?" she asked, looking to Mizuho.

Mizuho nodded. It was a small lie, she thought, but it was true enough. She had come back for Kei. "We had to keep it a secret, the principal told us to," she said quietly.

Hyosuke stood in front of Kei, looking down at him, seeming kind of mad. "So all this time," he said, slurring his speech a little, "you've been keeping this a secret. From all of us. From your friends."

Kei, looking down at the sand, barely managed a nod. Mizuho wanted to hold him, but she knew she'd have to let this play out. Getting through this, right now, without anybody getting hurt, that had to be priority one.

"You bastard," Hyosuke said, then broke into a giant grin, wrapped his arm around Kei's neck, and promptly gave him a noogie. "You magnificent bastard! All this time I thought you were going around lonely, and you've been shacking up with the hottest teacher ever!"

"It's . . . it's not like that!" Mizuho said. "Hyosuke, please, let him go!"

"Oh, it's a lot like that, come on," Urd said. Mizuho looked over at her and frowned, but the silver-haired goddess was obviously enjoying herself. "Go on, tell them!"

"Urd, please," Belldandy said, somehow still calm. "Everyone . . . let's go back to the fire. Mizuho, Kusanagi-san . . . you should tell everyone, but it's only fair to tell your whole story. Please."

Mizuho nearly fainted at that, but she knew what Belldandy meant. She wouldn't tell everyone where she was really from, she couldn't, but . . . as for everything else, it looked like it was time to come clean. She reached for Kei, and he took her hand in his, looking up at her. He was worried, that much she could tell, and she couldn't find it in herself to reassure him.

Herikawa shot them both one last glare, then turned and walked back to the fire, alone. Hyosuke flashed Kei a thumbs up, then put his arm around Kaede's shoulders as they headed back. Mizuho sighed, then joined the others.

"I'm sorry, Mizuho," Belldandy said, looking like she meant it. "But there was nothing else we could do, and it would only be worse if you tried to lie."

"I know," Mizuho said with a sigh. "I'd just hoped that we could keep it a secret a little longer."

"Not much chance of that," Urd said, and took a swig from her saké bottle. "I don't know who said it, but I've heard that the only way three people can keep a secret is if two of them are dead."

"That's not very comforting, Urd," Kei said nervously. Mizuho had to agree.

She heard Herikawa yell again from up ahead, but it sounded more like she was angry at something than surprised. When the group of them arrived, Matagu looked embarrassed and Peorth looked put out; Mizuho guessed that Herikawa's return had interrupted whatever they'd been doing. She had to admit, it was a little funny, but she didn't feel like laughing.

Once everyone had sat down again, Kei held her hand in his lap and started talking. "I'm sorry that I couldn't tell you all," he said, "but it's really complicated."

"Just tell them what you told me," Keiichi said. "About how you two met at your old school, and how you had to transfer after, y'know, everything happened."

"Right," Kei said.

Mizuho silently thanked Keiichi for giving him the prompt; Kei was so worried he might have blurted out the truth. Then again, she thought, she might have done the same.

Kei took a deep breath. "I met Mizuho at my old school, near where Keiichi and Belldandy live. She was one of my teachers, but we . . . we became close pretty quickly." His voice was still shaking, Mizuho thought.

"Sounds like it!" Hyosuke said, still grinning. Kaede giggled, but hushed him.

"And then . . . I was sick," Kei continued, "I was sick for a really long time. I had to stay out of school, but. . . ." He trailed off, and looked over at her for the first time since he'd started talking. "Mizuho was always there. She helped me through it. I . . . I only got better because of her."

Mizuho felt her cheeks growing warm, and leaned a little closer to Kei. It was close to the truth, in a way. She hated having to lie to everyone, but if they could have some of the truth in there, it would be all right.

"When I had to go back to school, I wanted to go to a different one, because of . . . because of everything that had happened," Kei managed. "It took a long time, because Mizuho's contract was still for my old school, so I had to stay with my uncle until she got here."

"Wait," Herikawa said. She was sitting with her knees pulled up under her chin, and she didn't look so angry anymore, Mizuho noticed. Sad, maybe, and confused, but not angry. "How long were you sick?"

Kei looked at Mizuho again, and she nodded. Best to get it all out, she thought.

"Three years," Kei said quietly. "I'm nineteen."

Everyone fell silent at that. Even Matagu and Peorth, who'd known about the marriage since all the strange things that had happened that brought the two of them together, looked surprised. Mizuho guessed that Kei had never told them about that part.

"So," Hyosuke said slowly after a quiet moment had passed, "you couldn't go back to your old place because you'd spent three years dating your teacher?"

"That was part of it, yeah," Kei said, sounding nervous again. "Some of it was also that I didn't want to go back when I'd just disappeared for so long. It was like . . . it was like everything had moved on without me. I wanted to go somewhere new."

"But that's not all of it," Ichigo said. If she'd been surprised by any of this, Mizuho thought, she didn't show it.

"Right, that's not," Kei said. He was still holding Mizuho's hand in his lap, and he turned her wedding ring so the small diamond faced up and caught the light of the fire. "Before Mizuho came here, I did a lot of thinking, and when she finally started teaching, I . . . I asked her to marry me."

There was a cry of "What?!" from Hyosuke, Kaede, and Herikawa. The two girls looked the most surprised; Hyosuke still looked a little drunk. They were all looking at Kei, though Mizuho saw Herikawa glance over at her. She gave Herikawa an apologetic look; she knew that the girl had harbored feelings for Kei and Mizuho hated to hurt her.

Hyosuke, still staring, suddenly blinked and pointed at the two of them. "So you're the one that everyone said they saw going into the love hotel with Kei!"

Mizuho winced at that, as did Kei, but they both nodded. That, she thought, was something she didn't mind lying about. Some things just didn't need to be explained. And besides, even if they hadn't gone into the hotel together, they'd definitely. . . .

"You're blushing, sensei," Ichigo said, flat and calm as always.

"I - I suppose I am," Mizuho said, turning away slightly. These were still her students, and while she was glad that she could spend time with Belldandy and the others, this was getting more than a little awkward.

"Please," Kei said, looking around at his friends, "don't tell anyone else at the school. We're supposed to be keeping this a secret, and the principal would be upset if we told everyone."

"But so many people think you're having an affair, why not tell them?" Hyosuke asked. He was still grinning, and Mizuho guessed he was still drunk. She'd have to tell Urd to keep him away from her saké for the rest of the trip.

"We can't!" Kei exclaimed, making Kaede jump. "We just can't," he said. "It'd cause problems."

"Kusanagi-san is right," Belldandy said quietly. Mizuho looked over at her, and to her surprise, the other woman looked kind of sad. "It's never easy to keep love a secret, especially from your friends, from the others you love. But Mizuho and Kusanagi-san have been through so much, and I know how much they want to be together. Please, keep the secret for their sakes."

There was a quiet moment as the others looked back and forth at each other, and eventually, everyone nodded. Mizuho let her breath out, relaxing a bit. She felt more than a little relieved. Some part of her, she realized, had always wanted to tell more people about her marriage to Kei-kun, as that would mean that they didn't have to keep hiding, and it would just make everything easier. Maybe now it could be that way; maybe now she and Kei-kun could worry less. She felt a little foolish to hope so much, but she knew that Kei's friends were good people, and she didn't think they'd do anything out of spite.

"You should have told us," Herikawa said, a hint of an edge in her voice. "When you came here, you should have told us."

"Told you what, that he was married?" Skuld asked. "That'd be weird no matter what."

"She's got a point," Urd said. "Would you want to be the only kid in your school with a wife? Or, in your case, a husband?" She gestured with at Herikawa her saké bottle, then took a quick drink. "Really, what would you say to that?"

"We've seen stranger things at the school," Ichigo said, then glanced over her shoulder. "Peorth showed up from nowhere, and nobody asked questions about her."

"Oh, I'm sure there were many questions asked," Peorth said, smirking. "I was asked quite a few myself, though I can't say I care to repeat many of them." She nudged Matagu. "You remember some of those poor boys, don't you, Matagu-kun?"

"I think so," Matagu said with a small chuckle, "but. . . ." He shrugged. "I think we'd still be your friends, Kei, even if you'd told us you were married right from the start."

"Yeah!" Hyosuke gestured wildly, then added, "And every guy in the school would have been jealous once Mizuho showed up!"

"Hyosuke!" Kaede said, leaning on him and looking upset.

Hyosuke hung his head. "Sorry," he mumbled.

* * *

Kei did his best to keep from looking too relieved when they started packing up to head back to the hotel. He really hadn't wanted to spend the first night of his vacation like this . . . being grilled by his friends about the past, having to lie about a lot of it, and seeing Herikawa look at him with daggers in her eyes all through it. He hated having to hurt her, he'd never wanted that, but he couldn't lie to himself for her. How much she remembered of that, he wasn't sure, but he knew it hadn't worked.

He sighed, and picked up some rolled-up towels. This was looking like it was going to be less of a real vacation, at least as far as time with his friends was concerned. But at least he didn't have to hide anymore. There was comfort in that.

"Hey, Kei," Urd said as she walked up behind him. "You need a hand with those?"

He glanced over at the silver-haired goddess, and managed a smile. "I'm all right," he said. Sure, she wasn't carrying anything other than her saké, but knowing her, she had some other way to keep things around.

"Good," Urd said with a nod. "C'mon, walk with me, we should talk."

Kei gave her a surprised look, but realized that he didn't have much choice when Urd slung her arm around his shoulders and started leaning against him like she was drunk. She stumbled a little in the direction of the hotel, and Kei had to start walking to keep from getting pulled over.

"Trust me, kid, it's easier this way," she said. "You gonna be all right?"

Kei looked down at the ground, watching the sand as he kicked it up. "I guess so," he said after a moment. "I've wanted to tell someone for a while, and I was really glad when Matagu found out, because then someone besides my uncle and his wife knew. And Matagu's with Peorth, so he understands what it's like to have to keep secrets from friends."

"Eh, people recognize a goddess, just not like that," Urd said, then laughed. "You should see what it's like at Keiichi's school. I swear, Bell and I show up, every guy on campus starts drooling, even if they can't see us yet." She laughed out loud again, and Kei wondered just how drunk a goddess could really get.

"It's kind of like that for her," Kei said with a shrug. "But everyone knows she's with Matagu, so I guess it's not a big deal." He sighed again. "I'm worried about Herikawa, though. It seems like she's going to be upset for the rest of the trip, and I know she won't want me to say anything to her."

"Oh, don't worry about her," Urd said, then winked at Kei. He blushed, unable to help himself. "Bell's gonna have a chat with her, and if she can't help the girl, nobody can. But hey, tell me something - what's up with that short girl?"

"Who, Ichigo?" Kei asked.

"Yea, that's the one. The girl who looks like an enlarged grade-schooler." Urd swigged her saké again, then looked over at Kei. She was starting to lean a little more, he noticed. "Does she ever get happy? Or does she just kind of sit there and talk quietly?"

Kei paused, remembering. He'd seen Ichigo . . . at her worst, he supposed. He didn't think she'd 'stopped' anytime recently, though it had been a while since they'd last talked about it. He knew that she was more animated when she was just talking with one person; for some reason, she seemed to close up a little when in a group. "She does, sometimes," he said. "I think she's just kind of shy."

"Ah, that's no excuse," Urd said, grinning. "We're here for, what, two more days? I'm sure I can get her to open up."

Kei chuckled nervously. "I'm really not sure if that's a good idea, Urd," he said, though he wasn't sure if she'd even listen. He remembered Keiichi telling him what Urd was like when she was drunk, and Kei suddenly started to regret letting her pull him away from the rest of the group.

"You worry too much," Urd said. She blinked a few times, then leaned in closer, putting her face next to his. "Oh, Kei?"

"Y - yes?" Kei stammered, trying to pull back. She was giving him a rather intense look, and the last thing he needed tonight was another misunderstanding. . . .

"Your wife's got something planned for you tonight," she said, then hiccuped before bursting out laughing again.

Kei sighed. That was good news, he supposed, but he couldn't help thinking that Urd had more than a little to do with whatever Mizuho's plans were. This might be a very strange trip, he thought.

He glanced back over his shoulder to where the others were walking. Keiichi and Belldandy had gone ahead with Matagu and Peorth to get the keys for their rooms, so the group heading up to the hotel was smaller. Skuld and Ichigo looked to be chatting, though it was kind of hard to tell - from what he could see, Skuld seemed to be examining Ichigo's camera, and Kei guessed she was already thinking of some way or another to modify it. Hyosuke and Kaede had their arms around each other as they walked, and Kei smiled at them. He should have guessed that Hyosuke would have the easiest time dealing with his secret; Hyosuke had always been a good friend and Kei had a hard time picturing him truly angry about it. That left Mizuho and Herikawa. . . .

The two women were walking on opposite sides of the group. Herikawa was looking off toward the hills, and it looked like she didn't want to have anything to do with anyone else. Kei frowned at the look on her face. He didn't want to grow apart from her, as he still considered a friend, but he knew it'd be difficult. There was so much that had happened between them, and while Kei wasn't sure how much she remembered, he knew that there were some things she wouldn't forget. Just going back to this hotel must be difficult for her, he thought. This whole trip was going to be hard for her.

But where, he thought, did that leave he and Mizuho? They couldn't pretend anymore, and he knew that he didn't want to, it just wouldn't work anymore. As much as he hated the thought of hurting Herikawa, he hated to hurt Mizuho even more, and. . . . He couldn't do that.

"So," Urd said, her voice sounding a little slurred, "you like your wife's new swimsuit, eh?"

Kei turned back and looked at her, then swallowed hard at the look on her face. Please, he thought, let this just be the saké talking. "It's - it looks really good on her," he said. "I really like it."

"I know, I saw how you were looking at her," Urd said with a leer. "If you like that, you'll--" She hiccuped again. "You'll reeeeally like what she's got for tonight."

He glanced back to Mizuho again, and caught her eye. She gave him a shy smile, but he could almost see what she was thinking. Maybe, he thought, maybe they'd have the honeymoon suite again this time, and they could-

"Aah!" Urd stumbled, falling into him and sending them both into the sand.

Kei groaned as Urd elbowed him in the stomach, and he hoped that goddesses couldn't get drunk enough to throw up. He felt something wet on his leg, and worried for a second, then muttered to himself as he realized that Urd had spilled her saké on him.

There was a sudden flash, and Kei winced, then looked over to see the others standing there. Hyosuke and Kaede looked like they were about to laugh, while Herikawa was scowling, and Mizuho looked somewhere between amused and worried. He couldn't tell what Ichigo was thinking, but that was because her camera was covering most of her face.

Kei sighed and lay his head back on the sand, hoping that he would somehow survive the rest of this vacation.


	9. Part 2:3: Four Rooms

Onegai, Megami-Sama!

Part 2-3: Four Rooms

"We don't get a room to ourselves, Matagu-kun?"

Matagu put a hand to the back of his head, grinning but a little nervous. He'd figured Peorth would eventually ask about that, it was just how she was. He would have liked to spend some time alone with her, as he didn't get enough of that, but having a room just to themselves was a little more than he was ready for.

"I guess not," Matagu said, looking down at the room keys in his hand. Four for the girls, three for the guys, he thought, then wondered if Kei would need his key now that his secret was out. Matagu shook his head. Belldandy had probably reserved a room for Mizuho, which was where Kei would be. "Yamada-sensei got the rooms, so he probably had to make sure our parents wouldn't get upset."

"Hmmph!" Peorth folded her arms over her chest and frowned. She was still pretty like that, Matagu thought, and by now he was used to her sudden moments of annoyance, though he was glad that they usually didn't last long. "Fine, then." Her expression brightened, and she smirked at him. He started to blush - he knew that look too. "We'll just lock the boys out. They both have their lovers here, do they not?"

"I . . . suppose so. . . ." Matagu said, frantically trying to see if there was a way out of this. Peorth could be very convincing when she wanted to be. . . .

"Then perhaps they'll thank us," Peorth whispered, leaning up against him.

Matagu was saved from a possible death by blush when the hotel's front doors slid open and the rest of the group walked in. He glanced over to see Hyosuke and Kaede keeping each other up, Skuld messing with Ichigo's camera, and Herikawa standing about as far from Mizuho as she could. Matagu wondered where Kei was, then watched as he staggered in, supporting a barely standing Urd.

Well, Matagu thought, maybe he wouldn't have to worry about Peorth trying to get him alone in their room, not if half the group was drunk. Then again, that probably wouldn't stop her at all.

"Oh, good, you're here!" Belldandy turned back from the front counter, and walked with Keiichi over to where Matagu and Peorth stood, then paused. She looked a little worried, Matagu thought. "Urd, dear, are you all right?"

Urd said something that might have been a complete sentence, but whether it was in any actual language was anybody's guess.

"I see," Belldandy said, walking with Keiichi over to Kei's side. "I'll take care of her; thank you, Kusanagi-san."

"It's okay," Kei said as Belldandy took Urd off of his shoulder. "Matagu, did you get the room keys?"

"Yeah," Matagu said, "but--"

"Oh, yours is here," Belldandy said, giving Kei two key cards with her free hand. "Those are for you and Mizuho."

There was a sudden and very awkward silence as every one looked at Belldandy. If she noticed, she didn't show it. Kei froze with his hand halfway to Belldandy's, and Mizuho looked a little panicked, but Matagu guessed that was probably a reflex.

Before anyone said anything, Herikawa stomped up to Matagu and held out her hand. He fumbled for a second, then handed her one of the key cards for the girls' room. She snatched it out of his hand, then stormed off toward the elevators.

Kei sighed, then looked over at Matagu. "This isn't going to be easy, is it?"

Matagu could only shake his head.

A short while later, Matagu helped Kaede drag Hyosuke into the guys' room. Keiichi went along with them after saying goodnight to Belldandy - apparently, Skuld wouldn't let him stay the night in the goddesses' room. Matagu and Kaede helped Hyosuke onto one of the beds. Somehow, he was still grinning.

"Kei and Mizuho-sensei," Hyosuke said as Kaede put a pillow under his head. "I can't believe it. . . ."

"It is kind of strange," Kaede said. Her face was a little red, Matagu noticed, but he wasn't sure if that was from drinking or because she was embarrassed for some reason. "But they've been together for a long time, so they're probably happy that we know."

"Yeah. . . ." Hyosuke looked over at Matagu, though his eyes weren't quite focusing. "Hey, Matagu, you knew about this before. Did Kei ever tell you what Mizuho's like in bed?"

Matagu stepped back, feeling his face go red. "I - I--" Matagu stammered, then glanced over at Keiichi, who just shrugged. Why, Matagu thought, did Hyosuke have to ask questions like that? Sure, he and Kei had talked more than usual ever since all the weirdness with Mizuho and Belldandy getting switched, but somehow that had never come up. Matagu had to admit that he'd never really wanted to ask, and he kind of guessed that Kei wasn't going to bring it up himself.

"Hyosuke, don't embarrass the boy," Peorth said as she walked into the room. She came up behind Matagu, wrapped one leg around both of his, then put her arm around his chest and rested her head on his shoulder. "Making Matagu-kun blush is my job."

"Ah-ha-ha!" Hyosuke laughed. "I see, I know how it is. Hey, what about you two--"

"We should get back to our room!" Kaede said, looking more embarrassed than Matagu felt. "Peorth?"

"If we must." She somehow worked her way around Matagu without letting go of him, and he put her arms around her, holding her close as soon as she was facing him. He sighed. No matter what happened, he always felt better with her next to him. "Sleep well, Matagu-kun," she said. "Dream of me, of course."

"I will," he said, then leaned down and kissed her lightly on the cheek. Something about having his friends right there made him a little uncomfortable, he thought, though he wasn't sure why. Maybe because it felt like they were all watching.

She pulled back a bit, and gave him a considering look. "Really, dear boy," she said, "I know you can do better than that, you usually do."

Matagu glanced at Hyosuke and Kaede, then at Keiichi again, still more than a little nervous - kissing Peorth was one thing, and he never had a problem with it, but it was different in front of his friends. Kaede looked like she was trying not to watch, or at least like she might turn her head, but Hyosuke wasn't even making the attempt - instead, he was giving Matagu a thumbs up.

"It's not nice to keep one such as I waiting," Peorth whispered in his ear.

Oh, what the hell, Matagu thought, then dipped Peorth and kissed her, just like he'd seen in an old movie. He guessed he'd actually startled her, as it took a second for her to react. Once she started kissing him back, they held it until he felt his head starting to spin.

After he pulled her up out of the dip and they separated, Peorth blinked a few times, looking genuinely surprised and quite pleased. She also seemed to be holding back a smirk. "Goodnight," she said, then headed out of the room with Kaede. Matagu watched them leave, then slumped. It was too much, he thought, too much for just one day.

"Oh, man," Hyosuke said from his bed, "girls just don't get better than ours, huh?"

Matagu sighed.

* * *

Peorth bid Kaede goodnight, and continued down the hall toward the room she was sharing with Belldandy, Urd, and Skuld. She was feeling a little put out, despite that last kiss - this was the first real chance she'd had to get Matagu-kun away from everything, and he'd been acting more nervous than she'd ever seen him. Even when she'd first shown up and he'd been stunned by her presence-

"Perhaps . . . yes, perhaps that was worse," she admitted to herself. "The poor boy did faint that time." She put a hand to her chin in thought as she walked. "But he seems so reluctant, so worried. . . . I'm sure it's nothing I've done, as he still deserves the very best, which is of course me. So what could possibly be troubling him so?"

"The fact that you have 'strip me down and take me now' written across your forehead?"

Peorth jumped, then whipped her head around to see Urd standing in a doorway. The dark-skinned goddess had changed into her sleepwear, a light blue loose top and shorts. She seemed a lot more sober than she'd been a few minutes ago, Peorth thought; either she'd used a spell or Belldandy had.

"What - whatever do you mean, dear Urd?" Peorth asked, trying not to show her surprise.

"C'mon, don't play innocent, you're not any good at it," Urd said with a knowing smile. She stepped back into the room and motioned for Peorth to follow.

Peorth walked in and closed the door behind herself, then shifted her clothes into a nightshirt. Skuld was there as well, crashed out on one of the beds, curled up with what looked like a stuffed mecha doll. Urd sat down on the other bed and folded her legs beneath her, then gave Peorth a look. Peorth frowned at her, then lay down on her stomach in the air. The two goddesses stared each other down for a moment, then Peorth 'hmmph'ed.

"Surely you don't think I'm doing anything wrong," Peorth said, rather insistent.

"Yeah, I think you are," Urd said. She leaned forward, and her silver hair fell down around her shoulders. "But he might think so too, did you think about that? Or were you just not thinking?"

"I know what he thinks," Peorth said, trying not to show how close she'd come to being lost by Urd's stream of thought. She pouted a little. "I am his girlfriend, it was his wish and one I was glad to grant. Do you think I don't know how he feels?"

Urd chuckled. "It's not that easy. You remember what happened with Keiichi, sometimes people have desires but they get all worried about acting on them. Seems like Matagu's the same way . . . or would you know that better, you being his girlfriend?"

Peorth glowered at her for a moment. It was a simple thing to keep an eye on Matagu-kun's emotions, and with everything she'd been seeing, there really was no reason for him to do anything else but fall into her arms. "I do know what he wants," she said, nodding to emphasize her point. "He simply has to relax enough to know that he wants it, oui?"

"Ah, right," Urd said, then quirked an eyebrow at Peorth. "And you think doing everything short of humping his leg is going to make him relax?"

That brought Peorth up short. She sat up in the air, then looked down. She had to admit it, she'd never considered how her affections must seem to him. She'd assumed that he wanted the same thing, why wouldn't he? But. . . .

"Think about it," Urd said. "Wasn't one of the reasons you liked him in the first place because he didn't try to jump you as soon as you lost touch with Yggdrasil?"

"That was different," Peorth said shortly, still frowning.

"What, are you saying you wouldn't want him to jump you?"

"I'd rather hoped to be the one doing the jumping," Peorth admitted, breaking into a silly smile as a few rose petals blew around her. "But you get the idea, oui?"

"The idea and the mental image," Urd said, then rubbed her eyes. "I really should learn not to give advice right before I go to bed. But seriously, lay off the kid. You can't try to push things sometimes. I mean, look at Bell and Keiichi."

Peorth gave Urd a skeptical look. That was not at all what she'd been thinking of. "Keiichi and Belldandy can hardly even hold hands without blushing. I surely hope you don't suggest Matagu-kun and I follow their example."

"All right, you got me there," Urd said with a grin. "But you know what I mean, right?"

"Yes, I do," Peorth said with a sigh. "Even if I don't like it very much." She looked away from Urd, and frowned again. "I suppose," she said, unable to resist the urge to pose, "I'm just not used to others being able to resist me."

Urd laughed at that, quietly but with enough energy to make Peorth turn a glare on her. What, she thought, could possibly be so funny about that? This was her relationship they were talking about, not just fulfilling a contract. . . .

She paused. Wasn't that just what Belldandy had said, all those months ago? It wasn't just about doing her job, it had become more than that almost from the beginning. Of course, she'd never had to worry about doing her job well, such things came naturally to her. But this was indeed different, very much so. This wasn't just her job, it was about her life . . . hers and Matagu-kun's. Their life together, even just as boyfriend and girlfriend. Surely things would go beyond that one day, but perhaps Urd was right . . . perhaps that didn't have to be this weekend.

Peorth sighed, then looked over to see Urd giving her a warm smile. She nodded.

"Figured it out for yourself, didn't you?" Urd asked.

"I feel as though I'm starting to think like Belldandy," Peorth said, then couldn't help laughing. "I'm not sure if the Almighty is trying to teach me something or just having a good laugh at my expense."

"He knows what He's doing, I think," Urd said with a grin, then glanced over at the phone. After a moment, she shook her head and smiled. "But He does that whole 'move in mysterious ways' thing, so you never know." She paused, then leaned closer to Peorth. "Hey, you've been hanging around with Matagu for a while," she said, "so what's up with that Ichigo girl?"

"She's an odd one," Peorth said after a moment, "but a nice enough girl. She and Kei seem to be somewhat close, though I'm not sure why."

"What, you didn't try to find out?" Urd asked. "That almost doesn't sound like you."

Peorth put a hand to her forehead, and did her best to look hurt. "Why, dear Urd, you wound me! Do you think I'd have so little respect for their privacy--"

"I'd think you were too busy with Matagu to even think about it," Urd cracked.

"Very true," Peorth said with a smirk. "But if you insist upon learning of Ichigo, the best I can do is wish you luck. She seems to know a great deal more than she shows. Best to be careful, just in case."

"Eh, it's just one girl," Urd said with a shrug. "We've got the whole weekend and I've got plenty of saké, we'll see what she's got to hide."

Peorth smiled, but she did have the feeling that Urd had no idea of what she was getting herself into. This, she thought, could turn out rather interesting. Perhaps she'd better keep an eye on Ichigo's camera. . . .

* * *

Mizuho and Kei walked into their room, smiled at each other, then closed and locked the door behind them.

* * *

Belldandy knocked on the door to the room that the girls were sharing, and smiled warmly at Ichigo when the small girl answered.

"Hello," Ichigo said, calm as she always seemed to be. "Keiichi's not here, if you're looking for him."

"Oh, I know where he is, but thank you," Belldandy said. "Actually, I came to talk to Herikawa. Is she here?"

"She's on the balcony." Ichigo stepped aside to let Belldandy in.

"Where's Kaede?" Belldandy asked as Ichigo closed the door behind her. "Is she still with Hyosuke and the others?"

"They're carrying him to the other room," Ichigo said. She watched Belldandy as she walked by, never taking her eyes off of her. "Hyosuke's still drunk."

"I'll have to tell Urd not to let him drink so much," Belldandy said, concerned. Hyosuke seemed like a nice boy, though he did remind her a little of some of Keiichi-san's friends in the Motor Club. Perhaps she'd drop by once she was done here and cast a spell on him, something for the hangover he'd surely have tomorrow morning.

Belldandy turned and smiled at Ichigo when she reached the sliding glass door that led to the balcony. "Sleep well, Ichigo," she said, then stepped outside.

Herikawa was there, leaning against the rail and staring out toward the ocean. She didn't turn around as Belldandy approached. Belldandy joined her at the railing and stood a few feet away, letting the night breeze blow through her hair. She focused on Herikawa for a moment, peering into the girl's troubled emotional state. Belldandy sighed. So much pain, so much confusion, and the worst of it was that Herikawa herself didn't seem to know why, not as much as she should have.

She would have to help in any way she could, Belldandy decided. "It's a lovely night," she said quietly.

It was a moment before Herikawa responded, and all she did at first was shrug. She then glanced over at Belldandy and asked, "Why are you here?"

There was hostility in her voice, anyone could have heard it, but Belldandy could tell that it was more of a gut reaction than anything else. Herikawa wanted to lash out at someone, to let her feelings out in some way, any way. The girl wasn't mean, not at all, but she was hurting, and that kept her from thinking clearly. "You looked like you could use someone to talk to," Belldandy said, still quiet. "A lot's happened, hasn't it?"

Herikawa gave her a bit of a scowl, looking at Belldandy out of the corner of her eye. "You knew," she said, sounding like she really wanted to be accusing. "How long have you known?"

"Nearly as long as I've known Mizuho, she and Kusanagi-san have been together," Belldandy said. "There were some troubles, there always are, but she's told me so much about her life with him. I'm very happy for them." She leaned against the balcony rail and looked up to the stars. "Sometimes, it seems like they were fated to be together."

Herikawa didn't say anything to that, but only looked away. Belldandy looked over at her, and saw that the girl was biting her lower lip, as though she was trying to keep herself from speaking. If only she could let it out, Belldandy thought, then she could feel so much better. She hated to pry, but in the end, Herikawa might thank her for it.

"You have feelings for Kusanagi-san, don't you?" she asked gently.

Herikawa jerked back as though she'd been cut, and glared at Belldandy. "How - how could you just ask me that!"

"Because that's what's troubling you, isn't it?" Belldandy turned to face Herikawa, and folded her hands in front of herself. "I could see how you were looking at him earlier, and how you were acting toward him and Mizuho after everyone found out about them. It's not easy, I know, but it'll only become worse--"

"You know," Herikawa interrupted, starting to sound harsh. "How do you know? I saw you and Keiichi, you'd be close all the time if Skuld didn't keep pushing you two apart. He looks like he loves you, how could you know what I feel?"

"I've seen it before," Belldandy said with a frown. "I've seen it many times, around Keiichi's friends and others at Nekomi. Everyone gets so involved with what they feel, and anything that could change what they want, it feels like their world is ending."

"It's not like that," Herikawa said, turning away from Belldandy again. "I just - I--" She put her hands over her face, and Belldandy could hear that she was starting to cry. She waited, just a moment, for her to say what she had to.

"I feel like he was the only chance I've had, ever," Herikawa said, choking back a sob. "I don't know if he ever even liked me, but I've never really liked anyone else, not like that. And - and to find out he's been married all this time, and to Mizuho, all the guys at school talk about her like she's some kind of goddess. It's . . . it's not fair. . . ."

Herikawa's tears began to fall, and Belldandy stepped forward, gently putting her arms around the girl from behind. She let a little of her power flow into Herikawa, to help her let everything out so she could eventually feel better. It would take time, Belldandy thought, but she could heal.

"And then there's you," Herikawa said, sniffling, "you and Keiichi, and Matagu and Peorth, and even Kaede and Hyosuke. It feels like everyone around me is pairing off with someone, even the people I've just met are already together. It's like I'm going to be the only one left. I can't be an old maid, I'm not even seventeen!

"I . . . I thought I'd be all right with it, I really did." She sniffled again. "It's always fun when it's everyone together, but now, it's going to be different. Kei's going to want to bring Mizuho along all the time, now that we know, either that or it's just going to be weird with him around and not her. I feel like I can't even look at him anymore. I don't . . . know if he was my only chance, that seems so stupid to say it but that's how it felt. And now, it's . . . it's like Mizuho stole that from me."

Belldandy frowned. That, she hadn't expected. "They love each other," she said quietly. "I know it can be painful, but you can't get in the way of someone else's love, no matter what you might feel. In the end, it wouldn't work, because they'd always be thinking of what they left behind." She paused for a moment, to let her words sink in. "I don't know if Kusanagi-san ever truly loved you, but I know he'd never want to hurt you. He's not a mean person, but you can't expect him to go against his love."

"I just . . . I just wanted to be loved," Herikawa said, her voice small and tearful. "I just wanted to know what that's like."

"Everyone wants that," Belldandy said, hugging Herikawa a bit more. "But love at someone else's loss, is that really love? Could you really want something like that? Do you think it would make you feel better, make you feel what you want to feel?"

"I wouldn't want that." Herikawa shuddered, then pulled away from Belldandy a little, turning to her. Her face was streaked with tears, but Belldandy could see that she was doing better. She would sleep fitfully, perhaps, but she would start to heal. "How do you do that?" she whispered, giving Belldandy a pleading look. "I - I didn't want to say any of this, especially to you, I don't even know you. How do you. . . ?"

"It's all right," Belldandy said with a smile, opening her arms again. "Sometimes, we need someone who'll ask the questions we don't want to answer."

She hugged Herikawa again, and the other girl returned it this time. Belldandy smiled to herself. It would be difficult, she was sure of that, but things would be all right.

* * *

"Matagu? Hey, Matagu!"

"Nngh . . . Hyosuke?"

"Hey, have you done it with Peorth yet?"

". . . what?"

"Ha-hah, that's a no, right? Right? I thought--"

"Hyosuke, go back to sleep!"


	10. Part 2:4: But I Ain't Got Wings

Onegai, Megami-Sama!

Part 2-4: ". . . But I Ain't Got Wings."

Matagu leaned back from the jinriki and wiped sweat off of his forehead. This wasn't what he'd expected when he'd come along to help Yamada-sensei.

At about seven that morning, both the guys' room and the girls' room had gotten wake-up calls from the front desk. This had the predictable result of Hyosuke throwing one pillow at the phone while holding another over his head. Matagu had thought it was a mistake at first, but the hotel people had said it was written into their reservation. Apparently, Yamada-sensei had wanted to be sure that they would be awake in time to help him put his planes together before the competition. It had been a lot of trouble getting Hyosuke out of bed, but it'd been easier once they got outside and found the goddesses waiting for them in the hallway. Matagu was always glad to see Peorth first thing in the morning, but was quietly thankful that she hadn't found some way to get into his room. Belldandy had given Hyosuke something that she'd said would help with his hangover, but Matagu guessed it was just water and she'd used some kind of spell on him.

Hyosuke walked over, and collapsed onto the grassy ground next to Matagu. "Oh, man," he said. "Hard work, eh?"

"Definitely," Matagu said, pulling at his shirt to try to cool himself off. They'd been helping Yamada-sensei put together his two jinriki planes, and it had taken most of the morning for them to finish the smaller one. The competition wasn't until the afternoon, so the winds would be in the pilots' favor, but Yamada-sensei wanted to be sure that everything was ready long beforehand.

"I wish Kei was here," Matagu said, sitting down next to Hyosuke. "It'd be nice to have an extra set of hands for something like this."

Hyosuke laughed loudly, then grinned at Matagu. "Kei's probably got his hands full with something else, if you know what I mean," he said.

Matagu frowned at his friend. "Come on, that's the fifth time this morning you've said something about them," he said. "Can't you give it a rest?"

"Sure, sure," Hyosuke said, still grinning. "But y'know, I'll bet neither of them are giving each other much of a rest."

"Hyosuke--"

"Hey, boys, get off your butts!"

Matagu and Hyosuke both jumped, then looked over their shoulders at the same time. Urd was standing there, dressed in short overalls and a sleeveless shirt. She also had a red bandana holding back her hair. If she'd been anyone else, Matagu thought, he would have been half-amazed that she could still look that good while doing hard physical work. But he knew that was just how the goddesses were, some more than others.

"C'mon, we're still working here," Urd said as she walked over to them, then gave half a smile. "Besides, we better get the second plane put together before Skuld builds something else out of it."

Hyosuke blinked at her, looking confused. "She'd do that?"

"Skuld's just about as well-known around Nekomi as Bell and I," Urd said, then swept her hair back and posed. "Just not for the same reasons," she said with a smile. Matagu swallowed hard, then glanced over at Hyosuke, who was practically drooling. Fortunately, Urd dropped the pose a second later. "She's enough of a mechie to get a scholarship if she wants to, but she goes off on her own little tangents when she's building something, and it doesn't always work."

"What, does she blow stuff up?" Hyosuke asked. It looked like he was trying to get the huge grin off his face and not quite making it.

"Not that bad, but close," Urd said with a nod. "Now get over here, we're not done yet."

Matagu and Hyosuke pulled themselves to their feet, and followed Urd over to where Kaede, Herikawa, Ichigo, and Keiichi were gathered around the pile of parts that would be come Yamada-sensei's second jinriki plane. Sure enough, Skuld was a few feet away with their teacher, and it looked like she was talking really fast. As for Yamada-sensei, he looked somewhat pained.

"Hey, guys," Keiichi said as they approached, then looked to Urd. "Can you drag her away for a few minutes? I wanted to ask him some questions about how this is supposed to go together, but Skuld's been stuck to him ever since we got here."

"Yeah, sounds about right," Urd said.

"I thought you went to a tech school," Hyosuke said, looking back and forth between Keiichi and Urd. "You don't know how to do something like this?"

"Not really," Keiichi said with a chuckle. "It's some of the same stuff, but I'm not used to working with things without a motor."

"Yamada-sensei's the motor."

The four of them nearly jumped at the calm voice, then looked around to see that Ichigo had come up to join them without making a sound. If she was amused at all, she didn't show it. That, Matagu thought, was just a little creepy.

"Oh, I know what you mean," Keiichi said, putting a hand to the back of his head and grinning. "I just haven't worked with anything man-powered for a long time, so I don't remember how everything works."

"It shouldn't be--" Ichigo began.

"Ichigo!" Urd exclaimed. "Help me drag my sister away from Yamada, will you? We'll be here all day if she keeps bothering him."

Ichigo gave Urd a look that might have been called curious if it was from anyone else, but she followed Urd over to where Yamada-sensei and Skuld were standing, looking over some blueprints. The younger goddess, dressed in a tank top and cargo pants, was waving her hands around a lot. It looked like she was asking about two questions per second, and Yamada-sensei was trying to answer them without much luck.

As Matagu watched, Kaede and Herikawa walked over from the pile of parts, heading toward he and the others. Kaede looked cheerful, like she was happy to be out here, but Herikawa seemed pensive. At least she wasn't still angry, Matagu thought.

"Hey," Hyosuke said, putting an arm around Kaede's shoulders. "Any luck with this one?"

"We've hardly gotten started," Kaede said. "Skuld's been trying to get Yamada-sensei to try all these new things, but he keeps saying he knows how his jinriki are supposed to work. It's been kind of troublesome."

"That's just Skuld," Matagu said with a shrug. "I've seen some of the stuff she builds, and when it works, it's pretty impressive." Naturally, he couldn't say just what he'd seen her build, as he didn't think telling his friends about the memory-switcher thing would go over very well.

"Yeah, when it works," Keiichi said with a nervous chuckle. "I guess we should be glad that there isn't a motor in this thing." He glanced around, then looked back over his shoulder to the picnic blanket, where Belldandy and Peorth were. "Bell," he called, "we're probably going to get started on this one soon."

"Just a moment, dear," Belldandy said.

"Wow, your girl works on this stuff too?" Hyosuke asked, looking at Keiichi as though he couldn't believe it.

"Yeah, she picked it up pretty quick," Keiichi said. "The motor club likes having her around too, Ootaki says she's good for morale." He smiled, and Matagu guessed that wasn't the only reason they all liked having Belldandy around.

"I can see that," Herikawa said quietly. "She seems like she can be really encouraging when she needs to be."

"Heh! Maybe she can encourage Peorth off the blanket," Hyosuke cracked.

Matagu looked over to see Peorth stretched out in the sun like a cat, laying with her hands behind her head and her eyes closed. She looked like she didn't plan on getting up. He sighed. They were here to do work, that was part of the deal.

"I'll get her," he said, then headed over as Belldandy walked to Keiichi's side.

Matagu stood so that his shadow covered Peorth's eyes, and she opened them to look up at him. She smirked, and he couldn't help blushing.

"Let me guess, Matagu-kun," she said, "you've come to convince me to get my hands dirty?"

"Right," he said with a nod.

"Shouldn't we go back to the hotel for that, cheri?" she asked, and stuck the tip of her tongue out at him. He stammered, realizing he'd walked right into that, then frowned when she started laughing. "Oh, I'm joking, you needn't worry so much," she said, then raised her hands for him to pull her to her feet.

Matagu took hold of her hands, trying to fight down his blush. No matter how many times she did it, he thought, he still had to fight to keep his brain from locking when she got all flirty. The fact that she suddenly and deliberately pressed herself against him when he pulled her up didn't help.

"Really, Matagu-kun," she said, looking up at him from about an inch away, "you shouldn't do such things unless you mean them. I might start getting ideas." She smirked again, then turned and headed toward the others.

Matagu paused for a moment, smacked the side of his head to get his own ideas out, and followed her.

As he reached the rest of the group, Matagu glanced over to Yamada-sensei, and saw that he seemed to be talking to Ichigo while Urd glared down at Skuld. Urd was now holding the rolled-up blueprints in one hand, and Skuld looked like she was sulking. As Matagu watched, Urd looked over to where Belldandy and Keiichi were, and Skuld snatched the blueprints and ran to Belldandy. Urd yelled in surprise, but Skuld just stuck out her tongue.

"Come on, Urd!" Skuld called. "Let's get started on this thing, I want to see it fly!"

Urd grumbled, then started to storm away, only to stop when she saw Ichigo standing right in front of her. "What?"

"That's not very supportive," Ichigo said calmly.

"Really," Urd muttered, then blew a strand of hair out of her face. "Trust me, kid, the last thing Skuld needs is more support. She'd put this whole thing together herself if she could."

Matagu chuckled, though softly, as not to get Urd's attention. She really didn't look like she was in the best mood.

It took some doing, but they managed to get their plans set out, and the group split up to start putting the jinriki together. Keiichi and Hyosuke took the left wing, while Matagu and Belldandy were to work on the right wing with Peorth's help. Matagu had a feeling that Peorth's help would amount mostly to moral support, but hey, it was something. Skuld had taken over direction on the front part of the plane, and it seemed that she already had Kaede, Ichigo, and Herikawa working together pretty well. Urd . . . well, it seemed like she was more of the cheering section, but Matagu wasn't really surprised. He was glad, though, to find that Belldandy was right at home with this kind of thing.

"Oh, I've been working with Keiichi-san in the Motor Club at Nekomi for almost as long as I've known him," she said as she helped Matagu put a wing panel into place. "They're very enthusiastic about what they do, but I like being around them. They have gotten into some very strange things, though."

"Keiichi's told me a little bit about them," Matagu said, then grunted as he pulled the panel into place from below. "Hey, Peorth, could you hand me that wrench thing?"

"Oui," Peorth said, and let her fingertips trace down his palm as she handed it to him. "We really should see about visiting Nekomi sometime, Matagu-kun," she said. "Had you ever given a thought about going there?"

Matagu shrugged, though he wasn't sure if she could see him, hidden as he was halfway under the wing. Then again, she was a goddess, so it might not matter. "I'd have to see the place first, I guess," he said. "I'm still not all that sure about what I want to do." He pulled himself out from under the wing and sat up. "Still, it'd be good to visit."

"That would be wonderful!" Belldandy sounded absolutely delighted, and folded her hands together in front of herself. "I'll go talk to Keiichi about this, I'm sure we could work something out." She hurried over to the other side of the plane.

Matagu gave Peorth a strange look, then chuckled as she shook her head. "I don't know if I'm ever going to have time for that," he said with a sigh, "but it's a good thought."

"Perhaps." Peorth sat down next to him, then - to his surprise - leaned away a little. "Am I a bother to you, Matagu-kun?"

Matagu blinked, then swallowed hard. This sounded suspiciously like one of those talks that he'd heard about, the ones that happened when the girl thought there was something wrong with the relationship. He'd never thought that Peorth would ask him something like that, but he knew his answer.

"No, of course not," he said. He thought about pulling her closer, but had an odd feeling that he shouldn't. "I mean, sometimes you're a little . . . you know . . . too much?" He put a hand to the back of his head, and smiled nervously.

"I'd thought that too much of a good thing was never enough," Peorth said, giving him one of the smiles that he knew all too well. "Are you saying I've been less than a good thing for you?"

"Nothing - nothing like that," Matagu said quickly. "You know how I feel . . . you make me happy," he said, feeling a little sheepish. This was kind of hard to put into words, and it all seemed kind of silly. "Why?"

"Oh, it's nothing," Peorth said with a small laugh, "just . . . hmm. Urd, dear that she is, seems to think that I'm trying to push you a little too much. Is she just being worrisome, or. . . ." She looked worried, Matagu thought, and he started to frown. Peorth had never been anything but sure of herself, and he wasn't sure how to react. "Or dare I say it, is she right?"

Matagu sighed. Sure, he still had to worry about his brain locking up when Peorth was feeling loving, which was just about most of the time. And he still got nervous when he thought about taking things farther than they'd gone. But, he thought, that was just how he was now, not how he'd always be.

He leaned closer to her, and put an arm around her shoulders. She felt so warm . . . he steadied himself, then said, "Peorth . . . I think you're worrying too much."

"Am I?" she asked, looking over at him. It looked like she was starting to smile.

"Yeah, you are." He lowered his voice. "I wished for you to be with me, to be my girlfriend, and I wouldn't change that. I get a little nervous sometimes, but . . . I mean, we've only been together for a few weeks. You're the only girlfriend I've ever had, and I really don't want to rush things."

"Ah," Peorth said, "so you would object to sharing a room with me, you're just too kind to say it. I see."

"It's not like that," Matagu said. He couldn't tell if she was really upset or just felt like playing with him. Then again, he thought, she always seemed to feel like playing with him, but this was different and nowhere near as fun. "It's kind of like how you can only see some stars in different seasons. They have times when they're in the sky, and times when they're not." Okay, that sounded really stupid, he thought, but it was the best he could come up with.

"Not that I don't appreciate being compared to a star, Matagu-kun," Peorth said, giving him an odd look, "but I still don't quite understand."

"I guess . . . it's like you're in the sky, you're shining, but I'm not there yet. It's not my season." Great way to stretch a metaphor, he thought. If he kept this up, he'd be writing cheap romance novels in his spare time.

"Ah!" Peorth leaned closer to him, and lowered her voice. "So you're saying that your reluctance to know the passions of a goddess such as myself is due to you not being in season?"

Matagu felt his face turn bright red, and was glad that the plane partly hid he and Peorth from the others. "That's probably a good way to put it," he said. But if she kept talking about it like that, he might find himself in season really quickly, he didn't say.

"So it seems I must wait until your season comes," Peorth said, leaning back from him. He looked over at her, still blushing, and was relieved to see what looked like acceptance on her face. "I must say, Matagu-kun, that I'd thought much the same thing about you myself, but I wanted to hear it from you. But you needn't worry." She whispered in his ear, "I would never wish to make you regret your wish, so I'll say nothing more of it. All you must do is give me no doubt as to when your season to shine comes." She nipped at his earlobe, and Matagu felt rose petals tickling his face as they floated down toward his lap.

Matagu started to say something, failed, tried again twice more, then settled on just hugging her. To his regret, it only lasted for a second.

"Keiichi-san says - oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

Matagu glanced up to see Belldandy standing there looking a little upset. So much for the goddesses always having good timing, he thought. "It's - it's okay," he said, though he didn't move. "We should probably get back to work on this."

"Oui, of course!" Peorth said. She started to stand, then bumped into the wing overhead, sending her falling back down into Matagu's lap.

"Peorth! Are you all right?" Belldandy asked. "Shido-san, are you?"

"I'm fine," Matagu said with a quick nod, then gave Peorth a look as she raised her head. "You did that on purpose," he said, then grinned at her.

Peorth winked at him. ". . . Oops?"

* * *

"And now, to celebrate the great Yamada-sensei's victory in today's games . . . cheers!"

Herikawa raised her cup as Hyosuke toasted, and downed her saké along with everyone else. Urd had provided the drink, of course. The sun was going down, and they were all gathered around a fire on the beach - just as they'd been the night before, Herikawa thought. She hoped that tonight would go better.

Herikawa glanced around at the group, wondering what they were thinking. She kept an eye most closely on Kei and Mizuho; they had come to join the group that afternoon, shortly before Yamada-sensei's jinriki competition. She couldn't help but feel glad that they hadn't been around when the rest of them had been putting the plane together, else she might have done something wrong . . . she knew that her hands would have been shaking. It was still a little hard to look at them.

"Yamada-sensei must be very talented," Belldandy said, pleasant as always. "Has he competed like this before?"

"Yeah, he has," Kei said with a nod.

"And he won that time too!" Hyosuke yelled, raising his empty cup. "Yamada-sensei can fly anywhere, all he needs is the wind and his dreams!"

"I still wonder how that plane would work with a real motor," Skuld said, looking almost contemplative. "Or at least some gyros for balancing, and in the back. . . ." She rummaged through her pants pockets, then pouted. "I knew I should have brought some paper."

"Oh, you worry too much, kid," Urd said, then held out her bottle. "Have some more, it's good for you. You too, Ichigo."

Ichigo didn't say anything, but gave Urd the same look she'd been giving her all day. Urd glared back at her, and grumbled.

"So," Belldandy asked after looking around at the entire group, "do you have to head back to school tomorrow?" After a few people nodded, she sighed. "It seems like we've hardly even been here. We should get together like this again, it's been wonderful to meet more of Kusanagi-san's and Shido-san's friends."

"It has been fun," Kaede said, her cheeks already a little red, "but we all have exams coming up soon, so we might not be able to get away like this again."

"Good enough reason to drink now," Urd said, raising her own cup.

Maybe Kaede was right, Herikawa thought. Things were going to be changing soon, changing a lot. She wasn't sure where she'd be going to college, but the more she thought about it, the more getting away seemed like a good idea. Hyosuke and Kaede would probably be leaving, and she wasn't sure what Ichigo's plans were but she wouldn't be surprised at all if the girl already had something big in mind. Matagu hadn't said anything either way, though she was sure Peorth would stay with him wherever he went, and Kei. . . .

Kei would be leaving, Herikawa thought. Once he didn't have to be at the school anymore, he and Mizuho would probably pack up and go somewhere else, someplace where they could be just husband and wife, like they'd never been teacher and student. It was probably for the best, for them.

And in the end, going away would be the best for her, Herikawa thought with a sigh. It would be a chance to have a fresh start, to leave her past behind and to begin the next chapter of her life. But before that could happen, she thought, looking over at Mizuho out of the corner of her eye, there was something she had to do.

She kind of tuned out the rest of the party, mostly on purpose. Hyosuke was half-drunk and getting louder, Urd was still trying to get Ichigo drunk without any visible success, and the various couples looked to be enjoying themselves. Herikawa sighed. It didn't feel the same as it has last night, and she was glad for that, but it still felt like there was something missing. Maybe it was that she wasn't with anyone. Maybe not. But there was still time, there was still a lot ahead of her. Whatever was missing, perhaps she would find it eventually.

"You're very quiet tonight."

Herikawa blinked, then glanced over to see that Ichigo had moved closer to her, a little bit away from the rest of the group. She looked calm as ever, though Herikawa could see concern in her eyes.

"Shouldn't you be a little . . . drunk?" Herikawa asked, though she couldn't help smiling. She wouldn't have been too surprised if Ichigo had been drinking all night and was still unaffected.

Ichigo shook her head, and subtly nodded toward a patch of sand that was a lot wetter than anywhere else. "Urd's not paying enough attention," she said quietly. "I am, though. You don't look very happy."

"I. . . ." Herikawa trailed off, then looked off toward the ocean, away from the group. "I don't know if I am," she said. "It feels like my whole life's changed in a day, and now I just want to get back home."

"Why do you say everything changed?" Ichigo asked. "It's just one thing. It affects you, but only a little. You're not the one whose secret came out."

She was only half-right, Herikawa thought. Sure, it wasn't her secret, but it affected her a lot. Talking with Belldandy last night had only made her more sure of that. "It's hard to say," Herikawa said, though she knew that was only part of the truth. It would be hard to say, she knew, but it wasn't Ichigo that she had to say it to.

In time, the sun went down, and the group of them packed up their things. Herikawa did her best to be unobtrusive, keeping back from everyone else. Fortunately, there wasn't much to carry, and something about having girlfriends made the guys want to carry all the load. Once they all started walking back to the hotel, Herikawa took a deep breath, then walked to Mizuho's side. She tapped her on the shoulder, and tried not to frown at the surprised look on the older woman's face.

"Mizuho-sensei," Herikawa said quietly, "can I talk to you?"


	11. Part 2:5: Long Talks on the Beach

Onegai, Megami-Sama!

Part 2-5: Long Talks on the Beach

Mizuho blinked in surprise. After everything that had happened this weekend, the last thing she had expected was for Herikawa to ask to talk to her. She'd seen how angry the girl was last night, and though Herikawa had been quiet today, Mizuho had guessed that was just her way of showing that she was still upset.

"Herikawa. . . ." she said quietly, then nodded. "Of course."

They slowed their pace, falling back from the rest of the group. It wasn't difficult, as Hyosuke was talking very loudly, and most everyone was somewhere near him or walking ahead. Mizuho did catch Kei's eye for a second, and he looked concerned, but she gave him a small smile so that he'd know it was all right. She was glad that he made no move to join the two of them; that was definitely for the better.

Once they were far enough away that their conversation would be private, Mizuho looked down at Herikawa, and saw how sad she looked. Her heart went out to the younger girl; she couldn't help it. Mizuho had always known that Herikawa had some interest in Kei, she'd been able to see it shortly after she'd met them all. But she hadn't thought it would come to this, and she'd never guessed that revealing their secret would hurt someone so much.

"I'm sorry," Mizuho said, unable to help herself. "I--"

"No," Herikawa interrupted, her voice shaking a little, "I'm sorry. I - I didn't know, and I could have made problems for you two, something bad could have happened." She paused, and swallowed hard. "I can't help remembering, back when we were all here that one time, when Kei was here with his parents. . . ." She trailed off, and her mouth hung open. "He was here with you, wasn't he?"

Mizuho nodded, feeling a little sheepish. "That was our honeymoon," she said softly, then looked up to the stars as she remembered. "Our wedding was small, and we'd always had to keep things secret, so Kei-kun's uncle and aunt wanted to send us someplace where we wouldn't have to worry about anything."

"And we ruined all that," Herikawa said, sounding almost bitter. "I remember that. Hyosuke yelled, because he saw you. Why didn't you two just drive away?"

"I think it's because we were scared," Mizuho said. It wasn't the best of memories, but she started to smile; it all seemed kind of silly as she looked back. "We'd thought it would just be the two of us, so when we saw the rest of you, we both panicked. I don't think we could have done anything else."

"And I - I pulled him away from the group, later, because I wanted to know how I felt about him." Herikawa was talking more quietly now, almost to herself. "I would have kissed him, but we got interrupted. I would have."

Mizuho had to frown at that. Something in her wondered how this girl could be so forward, talking about how she would have kissed someone else's husband. Herikawa hadn't known, but that didn't make Mizuho feel any better. Still, it wasn't like she was gloating, Mizuho thought. It seemed more like she was confessing.

"Even after that," Herikawa continued, "there were other times. I called him and told him to come meet me at the train station, and all the things that happened after that. . . ." She trailed off, and sniffled. "Some of it's kind of a blur, it's like I'm trying to forget it. But I remember that he said there was someone else. He wouldn't tell me, though." She looked at Mizuho again, and she could see tears in the girl's eyes. "No matter what, he was true to you. He kept your secret."

Mizuho took a deep breath, then sighed. "Thank you for telling me," she said. She hadn't doubted - not really, though she did have times when she got upset just from thinking it was possible - but she was glad to hear that she'd been right. "Kei-kun and I have had our problems, it hasn't always been easy."

Herikawa paused. "Really? Other than having to hide everything?" She looked pensive as Mizuho nodded. "I thought marriage was supposed to be perfect," she said. "I thought that, when you know you love someone, and you know you want to be with them, it all just falls into place."

For a moment, Mizuho wanted to laugh. She'd thought that way at one time. The Galaxy Federation's manual about Earth life had said something similar, though perhaps less romantic. But as she'd found, that wasn't the case.

"Love is a part of it," she said, folding her hands behind herself as she walked. "But it's not all of it. There's so much to learn, about the other person and how you can live together, all the little things that you don't think about when you're just dating."

"I see." Herikawa seemed to be thinking for a moment, then gave Mizuho a questioning look. "I didn't think that you and Kei dated, though, from what he told us last night."

"No, not exactly," Mizuho said with a nervous laugh. She'd never really thought about it like that, everything had gone so quickly. . . . "But we spent a lot of time together, and we came to know each other very well. I was . . . surprised when he asked me to marry him, but I knew that I wanted to." She paused. "I didn't think that something like this would happen, though. I'm sorry about what happened."

"You didn't think someone would start to like Kei?" Herikawa asked, looking a little confused.

"That's . . . that's not what I meant!" Mizuho said, waving her hands back and forth. Herikawa smiled at that, though, making her feel a little better. It would take some time to get used to people knowing, she thought. Maybe a lot of time.

Herikawa was quiet for a moment as they walked, and Mizuho relaxed a bit. That, she thought, had been very awkward. She'd never thought that she'd be having that kind of conversation with a student. She was about to say something else, but saw that there were tears running down Herikawa's face. "Herikawa?"

"I'm sorry," she said, then sniffed again. "I was . . . remembering something I said to him. I said . . . that it was all right if he didn't feel the same way about me, because at least I had the chance to feel that way about him, even if it didn't come out like I wanted it to."

Mizuho considered for a moment, then thought of something that sounded sort of odd. "Marriage is like that too, a little," she said, nodding as Herikawa looked surprised. "With everything that happens, it hurts sometimes. Kei-kun and I fight, sometimes over the silliest things, like how the meal should be placed on the table or whose turn it is to do the dishes. But somehow, we always make up, and . . . it's strange, but it feels like we're stronger afterward, like we have more reason to be together." She smiled sadly at Herikawa. "I don't know if it makes sense, but that's what it feels like to me."

"It does make sense, I guess," Herikawa said. "I really don't know. I've never been like that with anyone, I've never even had a boyfriend." She laughed a little, though it almost sounded like she was deriding herself. "I guess I really don't even have anyone to shoot for now."

Mizuho nodded. "I know how you feel," she said quietly. "Kei-kun was my first, for everything."

Herikawa blinked up at her, looking like she didn't believe a word of it. "You?" she asked. "Kei was . . . you didn't . . . you never had a boyfriend before him?"

"I was very focused on my studies," Mizuho said, feeling kind of bashful. Seeing Herikawa so shocked made her feel like what she was telling her was somehow bizarre. "I didn't have time for that, growing up, and what happened with Kei . . . I wasn't expecting it."

"It's . . . it's just a little hard to believe," Herikawa said. "You're so- I wouldn't have thought it if you hadn't told me."

Mizuho smiled at that. "Thank you," she said. "I guess this trip's had surprises for all of us."

* * *

Up at the front of the group, Kei and Keiichi supported the more-than-a-little-drunk Hyosuke, each taking one of his arms over their shoulders. Next to Kei, Matagu was helping Peorth walk, while Belldandy was by Keiichi's side as always. Ichigo, Skuld, and Kaede were up ahead of them, talking and laughing. Urd was walking a bit away from the three of them, and seemed upset about something. Kei kept glancing back to where Mizuho and Herikawa were talking; he couldn't help feeling anxious about that. After everything that had happened this weekend, seeing the two of them walking together just made him worry.

"Hey," Hyosuke slurred, "stop looking so upset." He gave Kei a nudge, then winked. "Maybe they're talking about a threesome."

"Hyosuke!" Kei said, well-aware of how panicked he looked. As if things weren't uncomfortable enough. . . .

"Oh, Kei," Keiichi said, looking over at him, "did Matagu ask about you and Mizuho coming to our place next weekend? He and Peorth are going to head over, and he said he'd ask you."

Kei glanced over at Matagu, who seemed to be trying to hold Peorth up and keep her from giving him a hickey at the same time. He looked back to Keiichi. "He didn't say anything," Kei said, "but we did get there late. Why, what were you planning?"

"It came up when we were working on the plane," Belldandy said. "Shido-san said it'd be good to visit, as he'd like to see Nekomi, so we started to plan for next weekend. I know you have exams soon, but it won't hurt, will it?"

"Ehh. . . ." Kei smiled nervously. He'd hardly given a thought to his exams, even less to college. "I guess not," he said. "Mizuho can get everyone to your place, that won't be a problem, so as long as she's okay with it, we'll come."

"Awww. . . ." Hyosuke grinned at Keiichi and Kei in turn. "That's cool. And hey, Keiichi! More women at your house!" He laughed out loud while Keiichi looked embarrassed. "Man, I don't know how you even sleep at night, living with three women. I'd be getting nosebleeds all the time--"

"Hyosuke!" Kei said, giving his friend a shake.

"It's okay," Keiichi said with a chuckle. "He was asking me about it earlier, when we were working on the wing. I told him it's not as great as everyone thinks it is, but I don't think he believed me."

"C'mon, it couldn't be that bad," Hyosuke said, hanging his head. He still sounded like he was grinning, Kei thought. Kei started to say something, but was suddenly interrupted.

"Of course not!" Peorth said, hanging off Matagu. "As I was just saying to Matagu-kun earlier, too much of a good thing, there's no such thing. Isn't that right, cheri?"

"Umm. . . ." Matagu put a hand to the back of his head, and smiled nervously. "I - I really don't know about that one. . . ."

"There can be too much," Belldandy said, though she was smiling. "It just depends on what everyone wants." Kei wondered how she could deal with all of this and never even look embarrassed. Then again, he thought, she was a goddess.

Some part of that he still found very strange to think about. Everything with Mizuho had happened so quickly, he hadn't really stopped to think about what it meant - he'd married someone who was, literally, from somewhere out in space. And now, two of his friends were dating goddesses. He wasn't sure which was stranger. It was probably for the best that he didn't think about it too much, he knew, as it would only make his head start to spin.

Hyosuke raised his head, and gave Kei a leer. "Hey, Kei, I gotta ask you something . . . you've done it with Mizuho, right?"

Kei winced, and started to blush. Why, he thought, couldn't Hyosuke just pass out?

* * *

The next morning came soon enough, too soon, Matagu thought - with everything that had happened, it almost didn't seem like a vacation. He stood with Peorth and the rest of his friends, gathered outside in front of the hotel to wait for Yamada-sensei's van and to say their goodbyes to Keiichi and the goddesses.

"It's been wonderful to meet you all," Belldandy said, "and I hope we can do this again sometime. Maybe after your exams are over?"

"That'd be great!" Hyosuke said enthusiastically. If he was feeling anything from what he'd drunk last night, Matagu thought, he wasn't showing it. "It'll be a while, but we should do that!"

"We'll have to figure out where and how," Matagu said, nodding, "but it would be fun."

"You worry too much, Matagu-kun," Peorth said with a dismissive gesture. "Such things would work out, you know this."

"Strange things do happen around you," Ichigo said calmly.

Matagu and Peorth glanced at each other, and he wondered if he looked as weirded out as he felt. Sure, it was just Ichigo, but still. . . .

"We'll just have to make it work, sometime," Herikawa said, sounding rather cheerful. "You have my number, right, Bell?"

"Of course!" Belldandy said brightly. "I'll give you a call sometime, we'll have to talk."

Matagu couldn't help smiling at that. Of all the things to happen this weekend, he'd never have guessed things would turn out the way they did. At least Herikawa was doing better; he'd seen how she'd been two nights ago and most of yesterday. He guessed that Belldandy had talked to her at some point, and he wondered what she'd said. Whatever it was, it had worked.

"Kusanagi-kun," Belldandy said, turning to Kei, who was standing next to Mizuho along with the sister goddesses, "will you be going back with your friends? Or did you want to come back with us?"

"Wouldn't it be faster to come with us?" Kaede asked. "It's kind of a long way back."

"Umm," Kei struggled, "it's sort of--"

"My - my car's parked at Belldandy's place!" Mizuho said all at once. "I had to drive there, and we took another way here."

The group was quiet for a second as they considered that, and Matagu glanced at Peorth again, who simply shrugged. Maybe it wasn't going to be all that much easier, Matagu thought, for Kei and Mizuho, if they still had to keep coming up with ways to explain themselves. He already knew a little of what that was like - Ichigo was right about odd things happening around Peorth, usually involving her getting somewhere much faster than anyone else or roses appearing out of nowhere. But Mizuho and Kei would find a way to work it out, he supposed.

"Oh," Hyosuke said after a moment. "Lucky you, Keiichi, for living close enough to the beach!"

"Something like that," Keiichi said, though he did look a little nervous.

There was the rumbling of a large motor, and Yamada-sensei's van rolled up to the hotel's entrance. He leaned out the window and smiled quietly at the gathered students.

"Time to go," Yamada-sensei said.

Matagu chuckled as everyone hurried to pile into the van, then looked back at Keiichi and the others. It was really odd to think about it sometimes, but he was glad for everything that had happened. No matter how strange things got, he didn't want to lose touch with them.

"We'll see you in a week," Matagu said, waving to the gathered group.

"See you then," Belldandy said with a wave.

"And try to get Ichigo to loosen up!" Urd said, and it looked like she was glowering behind her sunglasses.

From the front seat of the van, next to Yamada-sensei, Matagu heard Ichigo say "I heard that."

"You worry too much, dear Urd," Peorth said, smirking at the other goddess. "But we must be off! Kei, are you joining us?"

Kei paused, then managed a smile. "I'll head back with Mizuho," he said, looking like he still felt awkward about it. "I'll see you tomorrow at school."

"That you shall!" Peorth said, waving dramatically. "Farewell!"

Matagu and Peorth climbed into the van with the others, finding room in the back seat. As they closed the door behind them, Yamada-sensei looked back over his shoulder. "Kei's going back with Mizuho?" he asked.

"Yeah, they're married!" Hyosuke said.

"Hyosuke!" Kaede said. "They asked us to keep that a secret!"

Yamada-sensei blinked twice, looking surprised, then said, "Oh."

* * *

A week later, Matagu settled into his morning bath, again with hopes of relaxing. The pressures and worries of the upcoming exams hadn't gotten any better after a week, and he still hardly knew where he wanted to go or what he wanted to do. He had to admit, his only real interest outside of his studies was astronomy, and he wasn't sure what college he should be trying to get into for that.

But, he thought, that was what this weekend was for. He needed the time to get away from everything and not have something bizarre, uncomfortable, and almost tragic happen, and perhaps he'd see something about Nekomi that he'd like. If he had to go somewhere far away for college, it'd be good to have a friend who already went there. Still so much to think about. . . .

It was too early for that kind of thing, Matagu thought. He shook his head, then leaned forward and reached for his washcloth.

"Matagu-kun. . . ."

Matagu froze. It was pretty much a reflex by now, but he still froze. He turned to look, slowly, and saw Peorth kneeling next to the bath in a towel. Naturally, she was smirking.

"Really, dear boy," she said, "you must have known I'd not neglect you today. I can't have Belldandy thinking I'm not providing you with the absolute best, can I?"

Matagu slowly started to smile. He didn't think it had anything to do with Belldandy, but he wasn't going to complain. He scooted forward, and leaned back once she'd slid into the hot water behind him.

"So, let me guess," Matagu said as she wrapped her arms around his chest. "You've been over at Kei's, and Belldandy's already there?"

Peorth laughed, though quietly, and a few rose petals drifted into the water. "Not at all, cheri! Mizuho and I spoke yesterday, and she'll be using that small thing of hers to take us to Keiichi's home. Belldandy couldn't bring us all to her home at once, you know."

"Could you?" Matagu asked, glancing back a bit at her.

Peorth made a pouty face. "It's rude to point out your lover's limitations, Matagu-kun, especially when you're both au naturel."

Matagu grinned. He'd never think of her as limited, but seeing her react like that was kind of funny.

Later that morning, they headed over to Kei and Mizuho's house. Kei answered the door, and smiled when he saw them.

"Morning," he said. "We're almost ready to go, Mizuho just has to finish packing."

"No hurry, of course," Peorth said. "A woman needs her time, especially when she's your wife." She leaned over and nudged Matagu. "Isn't that right, Matagu-kun?"

Matagu and Kei both jumped in surprise at the same time. When Mizuho walked down the hall with her bag, Peorth was still laughing, rose petals floating all around her. Mizuho gave them a strange look, but Kei just shook his head when she started to ask.

"Are you ready to go?" Mizuho asked. Marie was floating in the air next to Mizuho in its bizarre inner tube.

"Of course!" Peorth said, gesturing dramatically. "One simply cannot have too many vacations, so let's be off!"

Mizuho nodded. "Marie? Take the four of us to Belldandy and Keiichi's temple, please. It's a priority one!"

Marie scrunched up its face, then said "Noh!"

The last thing Matagu felt as the strange white shimmering faded into the air around all of them was Peorth winding her arm around his.


	12. Interlude the Second

Onegai, Megami-Sama!

Interlude the Second

"Sir!"

"Yes, Private?"

"We have another reading from the Sol sector. That strange energy signature's come through again, and we managed to get a fix on its destination."

"Excellent. Where's it coming from?"

"Earth, sir."

". . . I would hope so, Private. Where on Earth?"

"We weren't able to get a lock on the origin, as we didn't see the signature until the transfer was complete, but we were able to get the destination. It's in the Northern Hemisphere, in the country known as Japan. The closest institute of learning is a technical college known as Nekomi."

"I see. Were you able to learn anything more about the signature?"

"Nothing, sir, though it was weaker than its previous occurrences. As you can see, the readings we had before were about four times greater than this last one, except for that spike, which was greater by a measure of magnitude."

"It's been long enough, has Engineering come up with anything for that signature?"

"Negative, sir, it's unlike anything we've ever seen before. I hear they've already started a betting pool for what it turns out to be."

"That's odd."

"It's Engineering, sir."

"True. What about the teleportation system that was used, is it still reading as a Marie?"

"Yes, sir, and Technical has been able to identify it as the Marie system that's part of Kazami's ship. It seems she went back to Earth."

"I see. Keep tabs on the Sol system, we'll be sending an agent there to find out what's happening."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

"Oneesan?"

Maho glanced around, but her sister's apartment was empty. She frowned. Why wasn't she here? She should be here, her or that wimpy idiot husband of hers. . . . This definitely wasn't good.

Earlier today, their mother had read about orders for one of the Galaxy Federation's agents, orders that were sending him to Earth to find out something about strange energy readings and to retrieve Mizuho. Maho gritted her teeth when she thought about that. They weren't going to mess with her older sister, no matter what, and she'd see that they didn't.

If only she could find her.

She glanced out the back window, and saw that the sun was about to set. This couldn't take all day, she thought.

"Miruru?"

The round-faced, lilac-clad navigation system faded into the air next to Maho, and peered at her. "Mii?"

"Has someone teleported out of here earlier today?"

Miruru squinted its eyes for a second, then nodded. "Mii!"

"Good!" Maho grinned. "Trace it, and send me there, it's a priority one!"

"Mii!"


	13. Part 3:1: Doomed On Arrival

Onegai, Megami-Sama!

Part 3-1: Doomed On Arrival

When the strange white aura faded and they all arrived at the temple, the first thing Matagu heard was an explosion.

He, Kei, and Mizuho jumped in surprise, turning around to see smoke coming up from the back of the building. Peorth didn't even look worried.

"Skuld must be at it again," she said, leaning back and stretching. "I do hope that wasn't anything important." Peorth nudged Matagu gently, and whispered, "Like the room with our futon." She winked.

Matagu managed a grin, and put a hand to the back of his head in embarrassment. "That's just Skuld, I guess," he said.

Mizuho's eyes opened wide, and she glanced over at Marie. "Marie, please go back to the ship," Mizuho said quietly. "Don't come unless I call you. That's priority one."

"Noh!" Marie said, and faded away. Matagu swore that it looked relieved.

The temple's front door opened, and Belldandy walked out, smiling brightly. "Good morning!" she said. "I'm glad that you're here so soon, Keiichi-san's been busy all week getting ready for a race with the Motor Club, and he didn't think he'd be able to see you until he got the motorcycle done."

"He races motorcycles?" Matagu asked, then looked at Kei and Peorth. "I knew he was in the Motor Club, but I didn't know about that."

"We talked about it the last time we were here," Kei said, nodding. "He's really into it, but I think he just wanted something else to talk about."

"Do you think so?" Belldandy asked, giving Kei a concerned look. "It's not like him to want to avoid a problem, but after what happened then. . . ." She trailed off, then smiled again. "Come in, please, everyone. I'll make some tea."

A few minutes later, the four of them were sitting around the table while Belldandy prepared the tea. Mizuho had put a box of pocky on the table, and she and Kei were both nibbling on the candy. Matagu couldn't help but think of what had happened the last time he was here. Kei and Keiichi had been sitting at this table, somehow able to not become completely depressed after what had happened to the women they both loved. He remembered his own problems as well, about whether Peorth actually felt something for him or if he was just another assignment. He also remembered sharing a futon with Peorth for the first time, and couldn't help but start to smile.

"Matagu-kun," Peorth murmured from next to him, putting a hand on his leg under the table. He glanced over at her, and saw that she was smirking. He smiled nervously, wondering how much she knew of what he'd been thinking.

The kitchen door slid open, and Keiichi stumbled in, looking like he'd given up sleep for the past week. He paused, looking around at everyone, then mumbled a 'good morning' and walked into the kitchen.

Matagu casually glanced over his shoulder while Peorth said something to Mizuho, and he caught a glimpse of Keiichi and Belldandy hugging. He had to wonder how things were for them - Belldandy was so different from Peorth, it was hard to imagine her being flirty or suggestive. He didn't think Keiichi would have ever had reason to doubt, well, anything about her. Matagu shrugged. It wasn't that he'd want Peorth to be any other way than she was, but sometimes he just-

"Matagu-kun," Peorth whispered, her lips close to his ear. "It's rude to watch others, unless they want you to."

Matagu felt his face turn bright red. He turned back to the table, and waved off Kei and Mizuho's confused looks. A moment later, Keiichi and Belldandy came back from the kitchen, and Keiichi seemed much more awake.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting," Belldandy said, "but we usually don't have so many people for tea." She set a plate with cups on the table, and passed one to everyone.

"So," Keiichi said after sipping his tea, "you guys wanted to go see Nekomi?"

"Yeah," Matagu said with a nod. "I'm still not really sure what I want to do, but it's a start."

"I was wondering about something," Mizuho said, holding her teacup in both hands and looking oddly nervous. "After everything that happened last month, is anyone at Nekomi going to remember me?" She looked at Belldandy, frowning. "I thought everything would have gone back to normal, but I'm not sure."

"It should be fine," Belldandy said. "Everything should have gone back to how it was when you got your connection to Yggdrasil back," she continued, nodding to Peorth, "so I'm sure there's nothing to worry about."

"Besides," Keiichi said with a chuckle, "enough weird things happen around Nekomi, nobody would notice if some new teacher just showed up out of nowhere."

Matagu and Kei looked at each other, and Matagu shrugged. He was pretty sure they'd notice Mizuho, people sure had when she'd showed up back home. Then again, things would be different at a big college.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that, Keiichi," Peorth said with a smirk. "They certainly noticed when I was around, or have you forgotten?"

"I don't think I could forget that," Keiichi said. "I don't think Tamiya has either."

Matagu looked over at Peorth and started to ask, "What happened when you were--"

The kitchen door slammed open, and Urd stomped in. Her hair and face seemed to be covered with what might have been soot, but it was bright pink, and her low-cut shirt was glowing red. Matagu stared, as did Kei and Mizuho, but Keiichi and Belldandy didn't even blink.

"Good morning, Urd," Belldandy said. "Are you still having trouble with that potion?"

"I swear," Urd muttered, wringing her hands, "I'm never ordering from that place again. I should have learned after what happened with the anki egg."

Matagu gave Keiichi a questioning look. Keiichi just smiled nervously and said, "Don't ask, you really don't want to know. . . ."

"So," Belldandy said, "should we be going soon? We'll be able to see more of the campus if we leave early."

Matagu glanced over at Urd, whose shirt was still glowing. He looked at Peorth, then over at Kei and Mizuho. They all nodded.

* * *

His ship landed above the lake without a sound, hardly disturbing the water below it. His teleportation to the nearby shore was flawless. Like everything he did, Agent #42's arrival on this simple planet was perfect.

He stood at the lake's shore, clad in what his research had shown to be the standard Earth garb for someone of his apparent age - black slacks and jacket, a white shirt with the top button left open, and a tie left hanging just slightly loose. He'd also had his appearance adjusted before arrival, based on the standards of human attractiveness, even going so far as to consult cultural notes on Japan and prepare his appearance based upon several of the people identified as 'movie stars.' His black hair was now down past his shoulders, tied back in a loose tail that left his bangs hanging down in his face. His eyes were a deep blue the color of this planet's oceans. He'd even gone so far as to have a mole artfully placed, for the proper effect.

From what he'd learned about this Kazami, she was an attractive woman, so much that she'd been able to convince an Earthling to marry her. A woman that desperate, Agent #42 presumed, would surely be desperate for someone more capable. Therein lay the heart of his plan. Bringing the woman in by force could be time-consuming and unpleasant. It would be much easier to have her come along willingly.

Also, there was the matter of the strange energy readings that the Federation had detected. Engineering had been able to analyze them and develop a way to counter them, so Agent #42 had brought along a small weapon that was designed to neutralize the source. Naturally, whatever the source turned out to be, he would have to bring it along as well. But with the Federation's technology, his success was assured.

Agent #42 chuckled to himself. This would almost be too easy.

"Mata!" he said, his voice appropriately strong yet soft. The air next to him shimmered, and when the familiar white haze faded, his ship's navigation system was floating there. The green-clad Mata system was top-of-the-line, of course, more than capable of handing any task put to it. It was of the same design as the Marie and Miruru systems, though several generations newer. Agent #42 had requested a ship with it specifically.

"Mata, get my transportation," he said. "It's a priority one."

"MYAH," the navigation system said, its voice deep and heavy. A moment later, the white shining of teleportation came from in front of Agent #42, and a vehicle was there when it faded.

But no, Agent #42 thought, this was no ordinary vehicle. While it might have the outward appearance of an Earth motorcycle, it was equipped with some of the Galaxy Federation's most powerful technology, making it capable of speed and accurate handling beyond anything this planet would develop for at least another three of its centuries.

Agent #42 straddled the vehicle, pulled on the helmet - naturally, it would do him no good if one of this planet's simple denizens plowed into him and damaged him - and prepared to begin his hunt. The vehicle's navigation system pointed the direction to the educational institute known as Nekomi, and Agent #42 began his journey.

After nearly three hours of travel, Agent #42 was less than pleased.

Exactly why his navigation system had failed to show him all the streets and roadways of this place, he couldn't fathom, but wherever he was, Nekomi was still a good distance away. Perhaps he'd underestimated the complexity of this society, or at least their means of getting from place to place. No matter! His map did show a different educational institute nearby, he would simply go there and ask for directions.

Upon his arrival at the place of education, Agent #42 noticed several things that were different from what he'd expected. First, this was listed as a 'high school,' not a college. Second, most of the students emerging from the institution were young females. Third, a great many of them were looking at him, and several had begun to point in his direction.

Fourth, many of those looking and pointing were beginning to scream.

"Oh my god!"

"Is that him?"

"Isn't he in that movie?"

"No, he's on that TV show. . . ."

The young females began to advance on his position with great speed, waving their arms and crying out as though in a hysterical state.

For the first time in his life, Agent #42 knew fear.

* * *

When they arrived at the Nekomi campus, Kei started to wonder if he was going to spend the rest of the day looking up.

The place was huge. Most of the buildings were at least three stories tall, and he wondered how anyone found anything without a map. He guessed that the campus could hold most of his hometown without too much of a problem, and there were probably more people here than anywhere he'd been since he'd moved in with his uncle. Also, everyone here looked so much older . . . sure, he was really as old as some of them, probably older than the freshmen, but he'd never felt more like a child in his life. He leaned closer to Mizuho, and said, "It feels weird to be here."

Mizuho looked down at him, seeming distracted for a moment, then smiled. "It's not that odd," she said. "I went to a place sort of like this when I was learning how to be a planetary representative." She looked around again. "There weren't as many people, though."

"Yeah, Nekomi's a pretty big college for the area," Keiichi said, glancing over his shoulder. "The whole campus isn't even in one place."

"What?" Matagu asked, looking at Keiichi like he was crazy. "Where's the rest of it?"

"There's a satellite campus north of here, about four miles," Keiichi said. "Some of the smaller classes are there, but you really have to race to get there."

Kei glanced over at Matagu, whose eyes looked like they wanted to bug out of his head. Kei wondered if Matagu would find something he liked about this place, something he wanted to study; Kei himself was already having his doubts. Everything seemed so large, he'd grown so used to being in a much smaller place. He sighed.

Next to him, Kei felt Mizuho take his hand. He looked up at her and smiled. Then again, he thought, pretty much any place away from their hometown would do, so they could be as they were supposed to be, not teacher and student. As long as they were together, they'd be all right.

"Kusanagi-san?"

Kei blinked in surprise, wondering for an instant how Mizuho had said that without moving her lips and why she was calling him by his last name, before realizing that Belldandy was the one who'd spoken. He and Mizuho both looked over to see that their group of friends were about ten steps away. Belldandy looked somewhat concerned, but Keiichi and Matagu were smiling, and Peorth looked like she was trying not to laugh.

"We're going to tour the campus now," Belldandy said, smiling. "Do you two want to come with us? Or would you like to just see it for yourselves?"

"Oh, no, we'll come," Kei said awkwardly. Holding Mizuho's hand, he hurried to join the rest of the group.

Peorth leaned toward the two of them. "If you feel such a need for time alone," she said with a wink, "there are many places on this campus that are good for hiding." She laughed, then clung to Matagu's arm again.

Kei sighed, but couldn't help smiling.

They spent several hours walking around Nekomi campus, with Keiichi and Belldandy pointing out landmarks and buildings. The two of them talked about how classes were at the university, going on about the ways that professors taught and the kinds of work that they had to do. Kei couldn't help being amazed at the size of the place, even after he'd been there for a while. It seemed like it'd be easy to get lost, but Keiichi told him that it wasn't hard to find the way around after being here for a little while.

All the same, Kei wasn't sure if he'd want to go to a place like this. He didn't even know what he wanted to study. Matagu, however, was a completely different story.

"So there's actually an Astronomy department here?" he asked, looking very interested.

Keiichi nodded. "I don't really know much about it, it's not very big compared to the other stuff around here. But I've heard that it's good, and the astronomy club really gets into their work."

"They're the ones who tried to build a scale model of the moon last year, aren't they?" Belldandy asked.

"Yeah, that didn't turn out too well," Keiichi said with a grin. "The clubs here try all kinds of things, though. The Motor Club--"

Suddenly, a voice boomed out from behind the group, and everyone winced.

"Morisato!"

Kei turned to look, and felt himself go pale. As if the huge campus wasn't big enough, there was now a huge man standing there, looking down at the group as though he wanted to eat them for lunch. He was taller and more muscled than anyone Kei had ever known, and the flattop and thin mustache made him look pretty scary. He was dressed in a muscle shirt, heavy-duty pants, and some boots that looked like they were made for kicking things.

Kei looked over his shoulder at Keiichi, and asked, "Do you know him?"

"Yeah," Keiichi said, stepping forward, Belldandy at his side. "Hey, Tamiya. What's up?"

"I been lookin' for you!" Tamiya said, looking all the way down at Keiichi as he walked forward. "We got dat big race tomorrow, and you here actin' like--" The larger man paused, his mouth hanging open. For a second, Kei was sure that hearts actually appeared in Tamiya's eyes. "Miss Peorth!"

"Hello, Tamiya," Peorth said, though she sounded more uneasy than Kei had ever heard her. "How are you?"

"I'm great!" he said, lumbering over to her. "What's you doin' here? I thought you was gone."

"Oh, merely a small visit," Peorth said. "My boyfriend wanted to see the campus, and with Keiichi and Belldandy so willing to oblige, we--"

"Boyfriend?" Somehow, Tamiya's voice getting quiet was more scary than him booming. Tamiya leaned down and stared Matagu right in the eye. Matagu cowered back, but only a little. "You's her boyfriend?"

"Y - yes," Matagu said, standing taller. "We've been together for about a month."

Tamiya actually growled, but turned away and glared down at Keiichi. "Enough o' dis! We needs you over at da club. We gotta put dat bike together if we gots a chance o' winnin' da race." Before anyone had a chance to protest, Tamiya grabbed Keiichi by the back of the collar, and started dragging him off.

There was a moment of stunned silence, then Matagu asked, "We should go with him, shouldn't we?"

"We should," Mizuho said. Nobody moved.

* * *

Matagu wasn't sure what he'd expected the Motor Club's clubhouse to look like, but this definitely wasn't it. It was a small building, sure enough, but it looked like it was holding enough parts to build just about anything. He wasn't even sure what most of the stuff was. The place smelled like oil, grease, and takeout food. He glanced over at Belldandy, and asked, "This is what Keiichi does?"

"Sometimes, yes," Belldandy said cheerfully. "He's been part of the Motor Club since before I met him, he used to room with them in the dormitory. Tamiya and Ootaki made him the president some time ago, but they're still around so they all run things together."

"It's very strange," Kei said, looking nervous.

"I didn't even know they had places like this at a college," Mizuho said. "Don't they have to study?"

"When you love doing something, you can always find the time for it," Belldandy said, still smiling. "Keiichi-san and I have stayed up late working on things for the club many times." She turned and headed toward the back of the clubhouse, calling out for Keiichi.

"She frightens me sometimes," Peorth said in a low voice.

"Yeah," Matagu said with a nod. He looked at Peorth, starting to frown. "Hey, why was Tamiya looking at you like that? I didn't think you knew anyone here except for Keiichi and the others."

"Oh, that?" Peorth made a dismissive gesture, laughing brightly. "The poor boy came to the temple once with news for Keiichi, and fell head over heels for me. It just happens sometimes, I hardly even thought about it again."

". . . Right," Matagu said, and started toward the door that Belldandy had gone through. Something felt uncomfortable about that, though he wasn't quite sure why. He'd wished for Peorth to be his girlfriend, and she'd said that she wanted to, so why would he be feeling . . . jealous? Was that right? Sure, it didn't look like anything had happened, but Tamiya obviously still felt something for her. Maybe he'd ask . . . or maybe not.

Matagu shook his head, then walked directly into a leather jacket with sparkplugs hanging above it.

"Hey, kid! You must be one of Keiichi's pals. I'm Ootaki."

Matagu looked up, wondering just how many guys with too much muscle and too much height were on this campus. The man standing in front of him was at least as tall as Tamiya, but his spiked-up blonde hair made him look even taller. He wore mirrored sunglasses and had sparkplugs hanging from both ears, and he adjusted his leather jacket as Matagu looked at him. At least he was smiling, Matagu thought.

"Yeah," Matagu managed. He took a step back, and gestured to his friends. "I'm Matagu, this is my girlfriend, Peorth, and these are Kei and Mizuho."

"Whoa!" Ootaki sidestepped both Matagu and Kei, and stood before Mizuho, taking her hand in his own. "Hi, I'm Ootaki, you're gorgeous. You want to--"

Mizuho stepped back, waving her hands in front of her face. "I couldn't," she said, seeming very embarrassed. "I'm--"

"She's my wife!" Kei said firmly, stepping in front of her.

"Kei?" Matagu blinked at his friend, surprised at Kei's reaction. Maybe it was that they didn't have to worry about someone finding out, but he'd never seen Kei act so protective of Mizuho before. From the look on her face, Mizuho hadn't either, but she looked like she liked it.

Ootaki didn't move for a second, then stepped back. "Really? Man, you lucky dog!" He shook his head. "Sorry 'bout that, I gotta get back to that engine now." He headed back to the doorway, giving Peorth and Matagu a grin as he walked by. "Hey, Keiichi, your friend out there has the. . . ."

The four friends shared one very long, very curious look, then headed into the next room. Once inside, they had to spread out along the wall to avoid tripping over the piles of motor parts and other things that were scattered across the floor. Keiichi was crouched with Tamiya, Ootaki, and a few other people around a pile of metal that looked like it might, at one point, have been an engine. Matagu glanced over at Peorth and shrugged, and she winked back at him.

"Sorry, guys," Keiichi said, looking up from the pile of parts, "but we need to get this taken care of today, and the frame's going to take all night." He looked over at Belldandy, and asked, "Bell, can you show them around campus some more? I'll be back this evening."

"Of course," Belldandy said with a smile. She gave Keiichi a quick hug and whispered "Do your best," then skipped over the mess and joined the others.

Matagu was the last to leave, and just as he was about to step out, he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder. He jumped, barely, and looked over to see Tamiya standing very close to him and looking him in the eye. "Umm," he managed.

"You better be good ta Miss Peorth," Tamiya said, his voice low and kind of frightening. "You're Keiichi's bud, so I'm lettin' you go, but if I ever hear o' you doin' anythin' to hurt her. . . ." The larger man's hard squeeze on Matagu's shoulder spoke more clearly than anything he could have said.

After managing to pull himself away from Tamiya, Matagu rejoined his friends, trying to get his heart back down to its normal pace. Peorth wound her arms around his as soon as they were back together, and asked, "What's so wrong, cheri?"

"I wish you'd told me about Tamiya before we came here," Matagu said, keeping his voice low. He and Peorth were walking behind Bell, Kei, and Mizuho, and Matagu wanted to keep this as private as he could. "Did anything . . . happen?"

Peorth gave him a surprised look, then laughed so hard rose petals started flying around her. The others looked back, but Matagu just shook his head. "Nothing of the sort, dear boy," she said once she'd calmed down. "I merely made a small error in judgement, nothing came of it."

Part of Matagu was surprised that Peorth would admit she'd made an error in anything. He didn't say anything more, but found it hard to focus on the campus as Belldandy continued the tour. Just the idea of her and Tamiya together, in any way - it seemed oddly foreign, like he couldn't quite wrap his head around the concept. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, wondering if he really should be concerned.

* * *

When they got back to the temple, Urd was waiting for them at the door.

"Hey, Mizuho," she said, looking to the magenta-haired woman. "There's a small, annoying child here to see you. Says she's your sister."

"Maho-chan?" Kei and Mizuho said at the same time, looking at each other. "Why would she be here?" Kei continued. Just what he needed, he thought. The last time Maho had showed up unannounced, it had spelled all kinds of trouble . . . even if it had turned out well . . . really well. . . .

Kei shook his head violently to clear it, then saw that Mizuho was also blushing. He smiled, then asked, "Should we see what she wants?"

"We should," Mizuho said with a nod. "She wouldn't just come here without a reason, something must be happening." She looked worried, and Kei frowned.

The group of them hurried into the temple, heading for the kitchen. They found Maho there, drinking tea and eating pocky. It seemed like she'd made herself at home pretty easily, Kei thought, though he was glad that Skuld didn't seem to be around - he didn't want to know what would happen if the younger goddess would do if she got her hands on Maho's Miruru system.

"Oneesan!" Maho exclaimed as soon as she saw Mizuho, leaping up from the table. "Mother found a thing in the Galaxy Federation's computer, they're sending an agent to get you back!"


	14. Part 3:2: Uhoh

Onegai, Megami-Sama!

Part 3-2: Uh-oh.

For just a moment, Mizuho forgot to breathe. The thought of the Galaxy Federation coming to take her back, of losing everything she'd fought so hard to regain, of being pulled away from Kei. . . . She fell to her knees in shock, managing to catch herself on the table before she completely collapsed.

Kei was at her side in a second, his arm around her shoulders. She leaned against him, and they both looked across the table at Maho. "What do you mean," he said, "they're sending someone to get Mizuho back?"

"Just what I said, idiot,"Maho said, and Mizuho looked up at her. She looked worried, though Mizuho could tell she was trying to hide it. "Mother said they're sending some agent after her, some guy."

Mizuho reached across the table and grabbed the box of pocky. Once she'd gotten halfway through one of the candy sticks, she took a deep breath. She raised her head and looked around, glad to see that everyone was still here. "Did Mother say who it is?" Mizuho asked, trying to regain her composure.

"All she got was his number." Maho looked around, like she was noticing everyone else for the first time, and she blinked at Matagu. "Hey, I remember you," she said. "You're the one who--"

"You're Mizuho's sister?" Matagu interrupted, peering at Maho curiously. He looked down at Kei. "So she's not your cousin?"

Kei managed a weak chuckle. "That's a long story," he said.

"You do seem to have a lot of those," Peorth said, sounding rather amused.

"Everyone, please," Belldandy said, gently scooting past the gathered friends and heading toward the kitchen, "sit down. I'll put on some tea, and we can talk about this."

After a few minutes of shuffling, some cramped seating around the table, and a quick search for more teacups, the three goddesses, two half-aliens, and three humans managed to get the whole story out. Mizuho shared what she'd done after Kei had gone into a withdrawal that he'd been unable to awaken from, and how that had gotten her in trouble with the Galaxy Federation. Using the Federation's technology on the people she was supposed to be observing would have cost her license, among other things, and she would have been placed on remedial. Mizuho did her best to keep her voice from shaking as she told the story; it was something she'd wanted to put far, far behind her. She continued, telling of how she had to sneak back to Earth, all with the hope that Kei would remember her. Mizuho held Kei's hand as she told the whole story, thankful for his warmth and doing what she could to draw some strength from him.

"So after all this time," Urd said when the story was finished, "this Federation is finally sending someone after you?"

"I don't know how they found out where I was," Mizuho said, pulling out another stick of pocky. "I thought I would be safe here."

"There was something else," Maho said, "something about weird energy readings from Marie. That's why they looked. Some were from a few weeks ago, and one was from this morning."

"From Marie?" Mizuho echoed, then looked at Kei, who shook his head. "I don't know what that could have been, I've tried not to use Marie very often."

"We used it this morning, but that was just to get here," Kei said.

"Marie's that doll-thingy that you use to teleport, right?" Keiichi asked, and frowned when Mizuho and Kei nodded. "If you guys used it to get here this morning, maybe they picked up on that."

"But I've used Marie before, and nothing happened," Mizuho said, frowning. "Why did they find out now?"

"Wait a sec," Urd said, shifting her glance all around the table. "Kid, you said that they picked up something this morning, and that's why there's an agent after Mizuho?"

Maho grumbled at Urd, but nodded.

"So this morning, there were strange energy readings, same thing as a few weeks ago," Urd continued. She gave Belldandy a wry smile. "Say, Bell, you remember anything strange happening a few weeks ago?"

"Oh, that was--" Belldandy paused, her eyes wide. She put her hand to her mouth. "Oh, no," she said. "That was when everything happened with Mara, and we all had to go to where you live," she said, looking to Kei and Mizuho and Matagu. "We used Marie to get there, didn't we?"

"And to get to Okinawa after, and to get everyone back home," Kei said, nodding. He looked over at Mizuho. "We didn't take Peorth anywhere with Marie after that, right? Not until this morning."

Mizuho nodded, and lowered her head as she started to feel very worried. This couldn't be happening, not now. Everything had been going so well, and she'd thought that she wouldn't have to worry about the Galaxy Federation ever again.

"So that's it," Urd said, starting to frown. "Whenever you brought one of us along with Marie, they picked up on it." She actually chuckled, drawing glares and upset looks from around the table. "They must have really gotten something when that crystal Mara had went through," she said, giving a wry smile.

"Does this mean we can blame the demoness?" Peorth asked, looking like she was trying to seem innocent.

"Maybe," Keiichi said with a small chuckle, "but that doesn't really help us. Do you know what the agents do?" he asked, looking at Mizuho.

Mizuho looked down at the table, frowning. She still held Kei's hand. "It's hard to say, they're sent out for many different things," she said. "But they're trained to be able to do almost anything. The Galaxy Federation always gives the agents the newest technology, so that they can do their jobs better." She raised her eyes, looking around at everyone. "If there's an agent after me, I should leave. I don't want to get anyone else into this."

"Oneesan!" Maho yelled, pounding her fists on the table. "You can't just run away! Fight him, send him back with all his stuff broken!"

"The kid's got a point," Urd said, earning another glare from Maho. "If he's going to come for you, it'd be better if you're here with all of us. I'm sure we can handle whatever this Federation can throw at us."

"Of course," Belldandy said with a nod, giving Mizuho a smile. "And we wouldn't leave you alone for this. When Skuld gets back, we'll have her see what she can do to keep someone from getting in. We'll make you safe here."

Mizuho looked around the table, seeing her friends nod in agreement. "Thank you," she said, and managed to smile.

* * *

Agent #42, his eyes already well-adjusted to nighttime driving, cruised down the road that led toward the main entrance of Nekomi.

The long drive had given him plenty of time to reflect, and he now understood what had been left out of his training. Upon his successful return, he would have to inform his superiors of the importance of having agents study the culture of the countries they visited, the better to understand their destination and be able to move more effectively. Had he known of the importance young females of Japan placed on their 'movie stars' and other 'idols,' he'd have made better choices when designing his appearance.

But, such a lapse in information was behind him now. He had arrived at his destination, and would now begin the hunt. First for the source of the strange energy, then for Kazami. Certainly, nothing else on this uncultured planet would stand in his way.

It wasn't until he pulled into one of the main parking lots that Agent #42 realized that, due to the late hour, most of this institution's students would not be either in class nor studying. While he was familiar with the concept of a 'weekend,' he had not been informed of the curious cultural ways of the students at this university.

Also, despite his lack of information about this institution's curriculums, he was certain that running around carrying torches and wearing skirts made out of some kind of plant matter was not part of any of them.

Keeping a safe distance, Agent #42 tapped the side of his helmet's visor, and quietly spoke a voice command. A small screen showed him a magnified view of the bizarre ceremony. According to the analysis, the ritual involved consumption of various intoxicants and the singing of songs somehow related to the social gathering. Curious, but ultimately less than helpful.

Agent #42 turned his back on the strange ceremony, and removed his helmet. "Mata!"

There was the standard white wavering to the air, and the green-clad navigation system appeared, sitting next to him on the bike. "MYAH!"

"Perform a search," Agent #42 said, his voice still soft yet strong. "See if you can locate the energy anywhere within fifty miles."

Mata's flat eyes squinted, then rolled back and forth as the system calculated. A moment later, its eyes opened wide. Mata pointed. "MYAH? MYAH!"

"Really." Agent #42 let out a satisfied laugh. "That close? Excellent."

"MYAH. . . . MYAH."

Agent #42's eyes widened. It wasn't often that he was surprised, but this was a rare exception. "Kazami is near the energy? You're sure?"

"MYAH."

"Ah, so a Marie unit was used near that location earlier today. Very good. Dismissed!" He pulled his helmet back on as the navigation system disappeared, and started his vehicle's engine again.

Agent #42 grinned broadly beneath his helmet. His mission would soon be complete. His quarries were nearby, closer than he'd imagined. He would not fail.

* * *

When night came and it was time for everyone to sleep, Matagu found himself concerned for more than a few reasons. He lay on the futon in the spare room, trying to think. The idea that the Galaxy Federation - whatever that was, he wasn't sure other than that they were after Mizuho - had sent someone to get Mizuho was kind of scary. While he'd gotten used to the idea of her being half-alien, the thought of full-aliens coming after her was just plain weird. Sure, there had been a time when he'd thought about meeting an alien, but. . . .

Matagu suddenly realized that he hadn't even thought about that since Peorth showed up. He shook his head, trying to clear it.

And then there was everything with Peorth, both her energy being tracked and that big guy in the motor club, Tamiya. Matagu didn't know what to think about the energy thing; Mizuho wasn't sure how the Marie thingy worked and didn't know what taking a goddess from one place to another would do. He had to admit that he wasn't really worried about her. Even if someone from another planet came after her, she was a goddess, and he didn't think there was much anyone could do against that.

Of course, that left the other problem.

Matagu stared up at the ceiling, trying not to start counting the ceiling tiles again. Peorth would be back from her bath soon. He'd had to practically beg off of taking one with her, saying that he didn't want to do that at someone else's house. Naturally, she'd pouted, but Matagu could be stubborn when he wanted to be. Not that it was easy.

He sighed. None of this was really easy, but he could let the others worry about the thing with the agent. Thinking about Peorth, about Tamiya following her around like some puppy and her . . . her acting like she was with him.

Matagu started to frown. That, he thought, was the root of it. He'd never had a girlfriend before Peorth, so he'd never had to deal with meeting an ex, or even someone who'd liked her. Maybe it'd be easier if she wasn't so flighty about it. Sure, she obviously didn't think it was important, or else she would have said something. And it wasn't like he had to worry about losing her; he'd made his wish and he didn't want it to change. From everything Peorth said and did, he felt she didn't want to either. So why was he even worried about this?

Because he was, dammit. And because he really didn't like the idea of Peorth with some muscled giant. And because it was bad enough that half the guys in their school looked at her like they wanted to jump her. Sure, the other half of the guys looked at Mizuho like that, but still. She was his girlfriend. She was supposed to only be with him. She was-

"Matagu-kun. . . ."

She was standing in the doorway wearing only a towel.

Despite having similar things happen nearly every day for the past month, Matagu froze, and didn't regain movement until Peorth had closed the door, turned out the light, and crawled under the futon blanket next to him. Once his brain unlocked, he still didn't move, but kept looking up at the ceiling.

"What's wrong, _cheri_?" Peorth asked after they'd lay there quietly for a moment. "You've said hardly a word to me since we returned from Nekomi." She leaned close, resting her head on his chest. "Could something be troubling you so much that you can't say it?"

Matagu tried very, very hard to continue being able to think despite her warmth and closeness. He took a deep breath, and asked, "What happened with you and Tamiya?"

Peorth raised her head, and Matagu glanced at her in the dim light. He could see the amusement in her eyes. She laughed, quietly but with feeling. "You've nothing to worry about, dear boy. As I said, he fell rather hard for me when I was last here. Such things can't be helped."

"So what happened?" Matagu pressed. He looked back at the ceiling.

Peorth sighed, and drummed her fingers on his chest. "If you must know, we simply toured the campus, much like we did today," Peorth said. "He showed me all of Nekomi, all the classes and clubhouses and hidey-holes, that's all." She paused, and though he wasn't looking at her, Matagu was sure that she was smirking. "If you wish, we could sneak off somewhere during the race tomorrow. I'm sure we wouldn't be missed, _cheri_."

Matagu grumbled. "I don't think Tamiya would let you out of his sight once we're there," he muttered. "If we disappear, he'd probably go looking for you."

"Matagu-kun," Peorth said, her voice firmer. She sat up, pushing the blanket back. In the dim light, Matagu saw her holding up one hand, and a rose that glowed with a hazy red light appeared, floating above her palm. He looked up at her, and his breath caught in his throat.

"I am a goddess," Peorth said softly, her face taking on an otherworldly glow in the rose's light, "and I cannot help how mortals react to me. Tamiya was not the first, and he will not be the last. It's simply the way things are.

"But you've nothing to worry about, dear boy. A mortal cannot make a goddess do what she does not want to do, save perhaps by a wish, and the Almighty would not grant a wish to one who would take advantage of a goddess. I granted your wish because I wanted to, you know this. And that has not changed." She leaned closer, and whispered, "You understand, _oui_?"

Matagu managed to pull his eyes away from her. "Have you ever granted my wish for someone else?"

"Come now, Matagu-kun, you're being ridiculous," Peorth said with a small laugh. "Really, how could I have done the same for another?"

"You're a goddess," Matagu said with a small shrug. "How old are you?"

"Don't you know it's impolite to ask any woman her age?" Peorth waved her hand, and the glowing rose faded away. She lay her head on Matagu's chest again. "And no, I've never granted the same wish as yours for another. Many mortals might have thought so, but it was not their heart's desire."

"So . . . what did they desire?" Matagu asked, not entirely sure why.

"I'm not revealing others' wishes," Peorth said, the firmness back in her voice. "Please, Matagu-kun, set it aside." She reached down and gently took his hand in hers. "I'm here for you because I wish to be. I would hope that is enough." She sighed, and pulled the cover back over them. "Almighty help me, I'm starting to sound like Belldandy."

Matagu lay there, considering, feeling Peorth's warmth next to him and wondering if he was just thinking too hard. The goddess did have a point. How much could the past really matter, if she was here for him now? Besides, it wasn't as though anything had happened between her and Tamiya, and he didn't have to worry.

And some very small part of him, a part that he didn't really want to admit having, kind of liked having a girlfriend that made other guys jealous. He remembered the first day that Peorth had shown up at school, and how she'd kissed him in front of everyone else. She'd pretty much proclaimed that she was his then and there. The closest thing he'd done to protesting was to blush, and that didn't even count. He'd never doubted her back at his high school, so why'd he started now? Did he really have a reason to?

Matagu sighed, then pulled the cover off of himself slowly wormed his way out from under Peorth, letting go of her hand with some regret. He didn't think he'd get away unnoticed, and he was right - she started to sit up before he even reached the door.

"Matagu-kun?" she asked quietly. "Why are you leaving, _cheri_?"

Matagu looked away, knowing that he didn't have reason to be embarrassed but feeling it anyway. "I have to use the bathroom."

* * *

Agent #42 nearly passed the side road to the temple, and only his superior maneuvering abilities and his vehicle's technology kept him from skidding off of the road.

He put the vehicle on its silent running mode as he rode, keeping alert for anyone who might be around. While his information had said that most people on this planet slept when the sky was dark, his recent visit to Nekomi had shown him that such was not always the case. However, he theorized that Kazami had been on this planet long enough to have adapted to its ways, and so she would likely be asleep. It would suffice.

As for the source of the strange energy, Agent #42 had to admit that he wasn't sure about it. If the source was a machine of some kind, as Engineering was theorizing it was, then it would not be a problem, as long as the machine was able to be shut down. Transporting it to his ship would be a small matter, and it would alert his superiors to his victory.

If the source was a person or a similar entity, then he had the weapon to neutralize them. His success was assured.

The road led to a wooden building. Sensors in Agent #42's helmet registered the construction as a temple, a place of some kind of worship. He rolled his vehicle to a stop, and frowned. While he had received information about the various types of religions and ceremonies that the people of this country involved themselves in, he was fairly certain that very few would choose to actually live in their place of worship unless they had truly dedicated their lives to it.

Kazami must have been quite desperate to secret herself among the followers of one of this planet's strange religions, Agent #42 reflected. Perhaps being on this planet for so long had affected her mind. Not that it mattered; his orders were to return her unharmed. If she was mentally unstable, then it would likely be easier to bring her in. It might make the return trip less enjoyable, but he would endure.

Agent #42 left his helmet with the vehicle, and activated a series of commands in his clothing, which rendered him nearly invisible. It was a regrettable but necessary precaution; if the simple people of this planet stopped him before he could accomplish his goals, then he would hardly be able to retain his place as one of the Galaxy Federation's top agents. He was near to his goal; nothing could get in his way now.

It took him a full ten minutes of reconnaissance on the temple before he was able to find a door.

Cursing the bizarre thin paper-and-wood construction of the primitive building that made the doors look exactly like the walls, Agent #42 slipped into a narrow hallway and slid the door shut behind him without a sound. The stealth field in his clothing kept his footsteps silent, and so he made his way down the hallway, staying close to the walls. There were ambient sounds coming from up ahead, registering as those of sleeping individuals. Agent #42 smiled. He had been right.

Before he had a chance to fully congratulate himself, Agent #42 heard approaching footsteps. He pressed himself against the thin wall, and waited. A moment later, an earthling male walked around the corner. Agent #42 guessed him to be of middle-to-late adolescence, in reasonably good health, and weary, judging by the expression on his face. The young male walked past Agent #42 without a glance in his direction. Once the small chance of being discovered was past, Agent #42 continued down the hall.

His clothing registered no further approaching sounds, so when he reached a corner, Agent #42 opened a small channel to Mata. "Direction and distance to the source of the unusual energy, Mata," he whispered. Locating the energy would likely be the less challenging task, so he would take care of it first. "It's a priority one."

"MYAH," the navigation system said, sounding oddly loud in the quiet hallway.

Agent #42 winced. While he'd always believed that a competent individual should never have reason to blame his tools, he would have to keep this communication short. He would also have to ensure that his next navigation system understood the purpose and methods of stealth.

A moment later, the reading from Mata popped up. Agent #42 smirked, and would have laughed aloud if he were anywhere else. His first quarry was near. "Thank you, Mata," he whispered. "Dismissed."

"MYAH!"

Agent #42 sighed.

He continued moving silently down the hallway, edging past more of the strangely thin walls. He passed several more doors, now able to recognize them for what they were. Surely, his quick learning abilities would enable him to accomplish this mission with all speed. One of the doors had a sign on it, labeled 'Skuld Labs.' He paused outside that one. There was an energy reading coming from inside it, not the same as what he was looking for but quite similar. Perhaps he would examine it after acquiring his quarry.

Finally, after moving past another door, Agent #42 arrived within a few steps of the place where the energy reading was coming from. Only another door stood between him and his quarry. Agent #42 wasted no time. Drawing the weapon that Engineering had made for him, he slid the door open without a sound, and peered in with his enhanced night-vision.

For the second time since arriving on this backward planet, Agent #42 found himself stunned. This time, it was not due to fear.

The source of the energy was a woman. No, more than a woman, to call her only that could not do her justice. There was a way about her, an aura of beauty that would rend most men into helpless, drooling sods, willing to obey her every command in the mere hope that she would look upon them favorably.

However, Agent #42 was not most men. Smiling at the thought of making the return trip with both this being and Kazami in his ship, he stepped silently into the small room, holding the weapon before him as it charged.

The vision of loveliness did not move. Agent #42 activated the weapon.


	15. Part 3:3: Far From Silent Night

Onegai, Megami-Sama!  
Part 3-3: Far-From-Silent Night

Matagu had just pulled his pants up when he heard the scream.

"Peorth!" he yelled, and almost took the bathroom door off in his hurry to open it. He dashed down the hallway, his only thoughts fear for her and wondering what could make her scream like that. Whether he actually wanted to run into something that could make a goddess scream didn't even cross his mind.

Matagu skidded around the corner, and froze when he saw white smoke billowing out of the spare room. He gasped, then dashed down the hall and nearly threw himself through the doorway. "Peorth!"

"Oh, is that what she's called?"

There was a man in the room, standing over Peorth's unmoving body and holding something in his hand that looked like a blowdryer. The same white smoke was coming out of the end of the strange . . . thing, and the man was holding it like a gun. He tossed his black bangs out of his face, and smirked at Matagu.

"I've never encountered such a being. Fascinating, really."

"You. . . ." Matagu tried to catch his breath as the sudden exercise caught up with him. "Who are you? What'd you do to her?!"

The black-clad man turned, and actually laughed at Matagu. "I don't have to explain anything to you, human. Now, go back to bed, this is none of your concern."

"You shot my girlfriend!" Matagu yelled. Without a second thought, he leaped at the strange man, fist brought back for a punch.

"Oh, really." The man waved his hand at Matagu.

There was a strange circular wavering to the air, and Matagu was tossed backwards. He felt himself hit the door, felt himself go through the door, and landed hard on his back. His head started spinning, and he groaned. Matagu struggled to open his eyes. . . .

. . . and found that he was looking up Urd's bathrobe.

"Hey, pretty-boy," Urd said, sounding almost casual. She stepped forward, standing on the other side of Matagu. "Yeah, Peorth's kind of annoying sometimes, but I'm not letting you do that." Matagu slowly managed to sit up, and saw bolts of white electricity building around Urd's hand. "So, you going to sit down and talk," she continued, "or are you going to pay for waking me up?"

If the black-haired man was listening to her, he didn't show it. "Fascinating," he said, looking down at his sleeve. "You're emitting an energy signature almost exactly like my quarry." He looked up at her, and smiled, looking like some kind of movie or TV star. "I'll have to bring you along as well." He raised the blowdryer-thing and pointed it at Urd, and the end of it started to glow white.

"Oh, good." Matagu couldn't see Urd's face, but he knew that tone. He scrambled back, pushing himself against the wall. This was about to get ugly.

"Urd Bolt, strike!"

"Skuld Bomb, away!"

Matagu blinked in surprise, then turned to see Skuld running down the hall, her hands filled with her odd bombs. He then decided that ducking and covering would be a really, really good idea.

The flash was bright white, even through closed eyes. When Matagu managed to open his eyes again, he expected to see half the temple gone. Instead, he saw Urd half-crouched on the floor, Skuld standing over her, and the other guy looking down at the blowdryer like he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Interesting," the man said. "Your energy must be just different enough--"

"Who are you and what'd you do to my sister!" Skuld yelled, and whipped out what looked like some kind of bizarre gun.

The man peered quizzically at Skuld. "Does everyone on this planet ask the same questions?"

There was the sound of more footsteps coming down the hall, and Matagu looked. Keiichi, Kei, Mizuho, and Belldandy were running toward the chaos, looking worried. Belldandy hurried to Urd's side, her hands glowing. Mizuho gasped as soon as she saw the man in black.

"No!" she exclaimed.

"Ahh," the man said, starting to smile again. "You must be Kazami. By order of the Galaxy Federation, you're under arrest for more violations than I really feel like listing right now. You will come with me." His expression hardened. "Please, don't cause a problem; I've had more than enough of those tonight."

"She's not--" Urd grunted a little as she got to her feet, but she was still holding lightning in her hand. Belldandy stood protectively at her side, as did Skuld. "She's not going anywhere."

"Neither is Peorth," Matagu said, pulling himself up as well. He stood behind the goddesses, wishing that there was more he could do.

"Such determination," the man said, then threw his head back and laughed. A second later, one of Urd's lightning bolts slammed into his chest, sending him flying back into the spare room. He groaned as the smoke cleared.

"I will not," he said, rising to his feet and dusting himself off, "be denied my mission." He coughed once, then stood tall, shaking his bangs out of his face. "And you're both coming with me. Mata!"

"Marie!" Mizuho cried.

There were two white shimmerings by Mizuho and the other guy. Marie appeared above Mizuho's shoulder, and something that looked like a larger, green Marie appeared at the man in black's side.

"Noh?"

"MYAH?"

"Marie, block his teleport! It's a priority one!"

The yellow thing put its stubby hands to its head, and its eyes closed. It looked like it was concentrating, while the green thing didn't do anything. The man just crossed his arms over his chest and smirked. A moment later, Marie looked at Mizuho and shrugged. "Noh!"

"What do you mean, you can't block it?" Mizuho asked in a small voice.

"Of course, your older model can do nothing," the man said, and laughed again. "The Mata unit is top-of-the-line. Allow me to demonstrate. Mata! Return myself, the Peorth woman, and Kazami to the ship, it's a priority one!"

"MYAH!"

"Peorth Rose Storm Attack!"

". . . what?"

A whirling tornado of roses and thorny vines spun through the spare room, slamming into the black-haired man and sending him careening into a wall for the second time. Matagu and the others shielded themselves as best they could, squinting against the flying petals and stems, backing against the hallway wall. The roses parted after a moment, revealing Peorth, standing there in her goddess garb and looking very, very upset.

"Foolish mortal!" she yelled. "You dare to attempt to incapacitate me, the Goddess Peorth?" She let out a long, triumphant laugh, making Matagu wish the winds would stop long enough for him to cover his ears. He was incredibly glad to see that she was okay, but the laugh still hurt.

"How absurd," Peorth continued, still keeping the black-haired man pressed against the wall with her rose storm, "to think that anything you could do could stop a goddess such as myself! For that, you shall suffer!" She pulled her hand back, and a long, thorny rose vine appeared in it."

"So, she ever brought that out in the bedroom?" Urd whispered back to Matagu. He could only shake his head.

"Mata, return me to the ship, now!" the man said as Peorth whipped the vine at him.

"MYAH!"

There was a familiar white shimmering, and the man and the green thing disappeared as the thorny vine snapped across where he'd been. A moment later, the rose storm disappeared, leaving red petals strewn all through the hall and spare room. Peorth stood there, hands on her hips, looking quite put out. "Hmmph," she muttered. "That was most unpleasant."

"Peorth?" Matagu asked, taking a hesitant step toward her. "You're okay?"

Peorth looked at him, blinked, then threw her head back and laughed again. "Oh ho ho! Of course, dear boy! A small thing like that could not stop such a goddess as I, Peorth!"

"Actually, it did," Urd said flatly. "You were out cold when I first showed up." Peorth glared at her.

"Are you all right, Peorth?" Belldandy asked, hurrying forward, her hands glowing softly. "Nothing like that's ever happened before, you should rest."

"I assure you, I'm fine--" Peorth started to gesture dramatically, but fell into Matagu. He caught her, and held her close as he lowered them both to the ground. "Why does the room spin so. . . ."

"I was afraid of that," Belldandy said. "Please, Shido-san, hold her." She put her glowing hands on Peorth's forehead, looking very concerned.

"What . . . what was all that?" Keiichi asked, looking around.

"That was an agent," Mizuho said quietly. "I can't believe they found me so quickly. . . ." Kei reached over and took her hand, and she seemed to calm down a little, or at least look less worried.

"So that's what we're dealing with," Urd said, leaning against the broken doorway. "Sure, he's handsome, but he's an arrogant bastard. And whatever it was he shot me with, that thing hurt."

"It looked like some kind of stunner," Skuld said, looking thoughtful. "It'd take me a while, but I could make up something that'd block it."

"You can do that?" Matagu asked, looking to the younger goddess. "He only fired that thing once."

"Of course I can do it!" Skuld proclaimed, standing proudly. "I'm a genius--"

"What do you mean, he didn't teleport here?" Mizuho asked, looking at Marie like she was going to panic. "You can't trace him, you can't block him. . . ." She shivered, and slowly knelt, Kei still at her side. "I should leave," she said quietly.

"Not at all," Peorth said, her voice tired. Matagu looked at her, concerned, but she just smiled at him. "I'm not giving the fool a second shot, at either you or myself. We'll find a way to stop him, and we'll send him back to wherever he came from." She looked up at Belldandy, who was kneeling next to her and Matagu. "Thank you, Belldandy."

"Of course," Belldandy said with a nod. She looked over at Mizuho and Kei. "I'm sure Skuld can come up with something to keep you safe. But if he didn't teleport in, we should see how he got here."

Mizuho paused, then nodded. "Agents usually have some way of getting around, so that they can blend in with the culture," she said. "He might have driven here."

"Really?" Keiichi asked. "That's weird. I didn't expect that from an alien."

After another few moments for Peorth and Urd to recover, the group of them gathered outside, searching the temple grounds for the agent's vehicle. Matagu and Peorth found it first, and called out to the others. They arrived in pairs, and thus, Matagu had to answer the same question about four times.

"He rode here on a motorcycle?"

Keiichi and Skuld started looking the cycle over as soon as they arrived. Matagu didn't understand a word of what they were talking about, but it sounded like they were checking it out. He looked down to Peorth as the two others examined the bike.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Matagu asked.

"Of course, _cheri_," Peorth said, smirking up at him. "Such a thing could not stop me, or at the least, not for long. You need not worry."

Matagu grinned. Sure, that wasn't going to stop him from worrying, but if she was talking like that, she was definitely okay. He held her a little tighter, then looked over when Keiichi and Skuld started shouting.

"You think you can make this work?" Keiichi asked, his voice loud in the quiet night.

"Of course I can!" Skuld said. "It might take me a few hours, but all I need to do is figure out how to get it started, and it looks like it just has a simple interface of--"

"Great," Keiichi interrupted with a laugh. "Because we've got that race tomorrow. . . ."

* * *

"You never thought this would happen, did you?"

Kei sat next to Mizuho at the kitchen table. Neither of them had wanted to go back to sleep after everything that had happened, and she'd been reluctant to even let go of his hand ever since. He could imagine what this must be like for her; he was feeling the same way.

After Mizuho had left him for the first time, his memory of her had been wiped away. It wasn't like he'd forgotten everything that had happened, more like she had been removed from what he remembered - he'd known that he'd been to Okinawa, but couldn't remember why, only that he'd met with his friends there. All he'd had of his time with her was hints and vague feelings, leaving him feeling somehow empty inside. He remembered standing with his friends by the railroad tracks, holding a box of pocky and wondering why he was crying. When he saw her again, as though for the first time, and everything had come rushing back, it was like he'd come back to life. . . . It was like coming back after being withdrawn and finding that it hadn't all been a dream.

And now, the past had caught up with them both, and it threatened to take everything away.

"Would you like some tea?"

Kei looked up. He knew Mizuho hadn't said it, but Belldandy's voice still sounded so much like hers, it was so hard to tell the difference. She stood in the kitchen doorway, looking like nothing had happened, like it wasn't past midnight and someone hadn't tried to kidnap both Mizuho and Peorth. Whether she wasn't worried, or things didn't bother her, Kei just wasn't sure.

But tea sounded good. He and Mizuho both nodded, then looked to each other as Belldandy stepped into the kitchen.

"Are you going to be okay, Mizuho?" he asked quietly.

Mizuho sighed heavily, and reached across the table for the box of pocky. She picked it up, shook it, and let out a small moan when nothing came out. She looked back to him, her purple eyes sad, and collapsed against him. He put his arms around her as she started to cry.

They stayed like that for a while, Kei doing the best he could to comfort her while Mizuho let out all her tears. They would find a way to get through this, he told himself, they had to. They'd come too far to be together, and they couldn't let anything happen to take them apart. The thought of losing her again made Kei hurt inside.

There was a soft clunk from the table, and Kei looked over to see that Belldandy had set down a small tray with three full teacups on it. She placed two cups in front of Kei and Mizuho, then took a third for herself and sat down across from them. Belldandy said nothing at first, just sipped her tea and gave the two of them a concerned look.

"I'm sorry that this is happening to you," she said after a moment, her voice soft and caring. "But I think things will turn out for the best."

Kei bit back a hard chuckle. It wasn't really in him to be cynical, but Belldandy's eternal optimism could be a little much sometimes. Instead, he gave a halfhearted laugh, and sipped his tea.

"I'm not sure if it'll be so easy," Mizuho said, pulling herself away from Kei enough to pick up her teacup. "The agents aren't supposed to go back to the Federation unless it's impossible to finish their mission."

"Oh, then we can do that," Belldandy said, still smiling brightly.

Kei and Mizuho both paused, and looked at each other. Kei wondered if he looked as worried as she did. "How - how do you know that?" Kei asked, trying not to sound too panicked.

"Your federation didn't seem to know how to deal with a goddess," Belldandy said, nodding at Mizuho. "Whoever that was, Peorth took him by surprise. I don't think he expected the energy he was looking for to be anything like her."

Mizuho paused. "Perhaps," she said after a moment, "but he'll know now. The agents are trained to learn quickly, and they study a lot about the ways of the worlds they go to." She glanced over at Kei. "I only had to go through a year of training to come here, but agents have to learn a lot more than I did."

Kei remembered how Mizuho had once said that human males were weak to physical contact, and decided not to comment. "Skuld can find a way to keep him from coming back here, right?" he asked Belldandy.

"I'm sure she'll be able to," Belldandy said. "She can be very determined when she gets started on a new project, there's very little that can get her to stop once she gets going. She'll come up with something, don't worry about that." She took another drink of tea. "If she's not up all night with Keiichi-san working on the motorcycle."

Kei did his best not to sigh. Hopefully, they weren't in as much trouble as it felt like they were.

"Try not to worry so much, Kusanagi-san," Belldandy said, concern clear on her face. "We won't let him take Mizuho away, any more than we'd let him take anyone else. I've had friends taken away before . . . I'm not going to let it happen again."

"What happened?" Mizuho asked, sounding curious. Kei nodded.

"It was a long time ago," Belldandy said, setting down her tea and looking faintly pensive. "It happened to Urd. She was taken over by a dark force, a program that would have brought about the end of this world. Skuld and I fought with everything that we had to return her to herself, and to keep the program from running its course."

Kei dropped his teacup, and barely managed to catch it before it spilled all over the table. Mizuho, still leaning against him, seemed just as shaken. Belldandy talked about stopping something that could have ended the world so . . . not casually, but it didn't seem like she was worried, like it was a hard story for her to tell. Kei swallowed hard, wondering just how much he still didn't know about the goddess.

But, he thought, who better to keep Mizuho safe than people like Belldandy and her sisters? Compared to what they'd had to deal with as goddesses, this was probably hardly anything to worry about. He pulled Mizuho closer, then leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. They would be okay. No matter what or who was coming for them, they were in good hands.

The kitchen door flew open, and Kei jumped, then he and Mizuho turned to look. Skuld was standing there, her eyes bright, looking eager. "Mizuho!" Skuld exclaimed. "Hey, can I borrow that Marie thing?"

Kei cringed. He suddenly had a bad feeling about this.

"Marie?" Mizuho asked, sounding about as worried as Kei felt. "Why do you want to borrow him?"

"It's a him?" Skuld asked, then shook her head. "Never mind. I figured out how to work that motorcycle thing that the agent left behind, I just need to tweak it a little tomorrow morning. I was going to do it tonight, but Urd said I should talk to you, just in case that guy comes back."

"Thank you, Skuld," Belldandy said, her voice warm. "I'm glad that you want to help Keiichi-san, but I agree with Urd on this. We should make sure that Mizuho and Kei are safe here."

Mizuho looked back and forth at the two goddesses, then leaned back against Kei. He felt her relax for the first time tonight. "Thank you both," she said quietly. "I - I don't know what I'd do if Kei-kun and I had to start hiding from him."

Kei nodded. Hiding his marriage to Mizuho was bad enough, though he only had to do that at school nowadays - his friends knew, so it wasn't that bad, though they did want to come over and hang out at his place a lot more often, and Hyosuke never stopped teasing him. But no matter what, he wouldn't trade it for anything.

Skuld grinned at the two of them, and while Kei couldn't help feeling a little nervous about her sometimes, he was glad that she was around. "Yeah, Urd told me about it when I got back tonight, but I knew I'd come up with something. So, can I borrow him?"

Mizuho nodded. "Marie?" There was the familiar white blur, and Marie appeared above Mizuho's shoulder, floating. "I need you to go with Skuld, she's going to help us."

Marie looked to Skuld, then quickly back at Mizuho. "Noh?"

"Of course I'm sure!" Mizuho glared at Marie. "She won't hurt you--" She paused, and looked at Skuld. "You won't take him apart, right?"

Skuld shook her head. "Nope. I just want to check out his range, see what I can do that might stop the agent guy too." She held out her hand to Marie. "Come on!"

"Noh. . . ." Looking pretty reluctant despite having just two circles and a line for a face, Marie floated over to Skuld, who snatched him out of the air and dashed out of the room. His last cry of "Noh!" carried down the hall.

Kei did his best to smile as Mizuho gave him a worried look. Sure, he was glad for whatever help his friends could give, but he just couldn't help wondering what was going to happen sometimes. . . .

* * *

Agent #42 paced back and forth on the bridge of his ship, going over the night's events in his head and trying to determine just why things had gone as they had.

Once again, the lack of proper training he'd received about the ways of this planet was becoming clear. Judging from the fact that the strange energy was part of an actual being, not some kind of machinery or natural anomaly as he'd guessed, he could make some guesses about the nature of the beings - the women, he supposed - who held the energy.

Considering that they had been present in a temple, it would be easy to assume that they were deities of some sort, what the denizens of this planet would call goddesses. However, such a thing was clearly impossible. The Galaxy Federation had been to hundreds of planets and knew of thousands more, and none of them had shown anything that would suggest the existence of actual deities. Therefore, there must be some other explanation.

But such a thing could wait. Figuring out just what the source of the energy was wasn't his job. Being one of the Federation's top agents, his job was to bring in his quarry. And now that he knew what said quarry looked like, finding it - finding her, he supposed - would be even easier.

And there was also the matter of Kazami. The images he'd seen had hardly done her justice; she was a beautiful specimen of a woman, even if she was half-human. One of the Earthling men whom he'd seen must have been her husband; which one, he could not be sure. It was unlikely that the tallest one held that role, as he had shown more interest in the other quarry, the one who'd been . . . who'd been throwing plant parts at him.

That was strange, Agent #42 had to admit. Just where she'd gotten that many plants, he wasn't sure, as he hadn't seen anything of the sort in the room beforehand. Perhaps she was some kind of charlatan, and had them hidden up her sleeves. He paused in his pacing, and put a gloved hand to his chin. Odd. She hadn't been wearing an outfit that had any sleeves. If he remembered correctly, she hadn't been wearing much of anything when he'd first used the weapon on her, but somehow, when she had recovered, she'd been fully clothed.

Agent #42 sighed. He would have to report this unfortunate lack of information to his superiors. Surely, nothing in Kazami's few reports of life on Earth said anything about beings who possessed strange energies and were capable of spontaneously manifesting both electricity and plant matter.

He tossed his bangs out of his face, and started pacing again. Now was not a time to dwell on what hadn't worked as well as it could have, now was a time to plan for tomorrow. Lacking his vehicle, he would have to rely on Mata for transportation. That would make things easier, but he would have to be sure that the primitive denizens of this planet didn't see him using the Mata system; he couldn't afford to give himself away and that could cause problems with the Federation. But tomorrow, he would accomplish his goal. Now that he knew his quarry's location, nothing on this simple planet could keep him from fulfilling his mission.


	16. Part 3:4: Just Another Day at the Races

Onegai, Megami-Sama!

Part 3-4: Just Another Day at the Races

The sun rose without a problem, and that was a small relief.

Keiichi rolled the motorcycle he and Skuld had been working on out into the morning sun, and put up a hand to shade his eyes as he looked down at the bike. It was pretty ordinary, didn't look like anything more than a stock frame with a few modifications. He'd just have to make sure that the rest of the Motor Club didn't try to open it up, so he wouldn't have to answer any questions about just where the rest of the engine was, what all those tubes were for, and why the gas tank was only about the size of a teacup.

Despite all the possible problems, Keiichi couldn't keep himself from smiling. Whatever technology that agent guy had been using in his bike, it was years beyond anything Keiichi had ever seen. It hadn't taken Skuld all that long to rig together some retrofitting, and now, the motorcycle was ready for action. All for the glory and burning passion of the Nekomi Motor Club, he thought in Ootaki's voice, and chuckled. If everything went well, this would be some race.

Keiichi stretched a little, turned, then walked back into the temple and immediately regretted it.

"I'm sorry!" Skuld was yelling. "I didn't think it was your wife!"

For a moment, Keiichi hesitated. Maybe it would be better not to ask, he thought. Not that it would do any good, but. . . . He shrugged, then headed toward the kitchen, where the noise was coming from.

Kei and Mizuho were sitting at the kitchen table, along with Skuld, who looked pretty upset. Keiichi caught a glimpse of Belldandy making something in the kitchen before getting a better look at Kei. He paused, his eyes wide, then asked, "What the. . . ."

The words 'pervert,' 'jerk,' and 'idiot' were plastered across Kei's face. He was sitting slumped over, looking like he'd just had the worst luck in the world hit him all at once. Mizuho sat next to him, wearing something pink with thin straps and looking like she was trying not to laugh.

Kei and Mizuho both looked over at Keiichi, as did Skuld a second later. "It was an accident!" Skuld yelled. "I heard his voice from their room, and she sounds a lot like oneesan, and they were saying - so I thought--"

Keiichi paused, blinked, then burst out laughing. He staggered in and took a seat at the table before he fell down, trying to tell Kei and Mizuho he was sorry but unable to stop laughing. The image was just too much. Kei trying to make a move on Belldandy? Keiichi shook his head, and took a few deep breaths.

"I'm sorry," he gasped. "But that's just too funny."

Across the table, Kei sighed. "At least it'll come off," he said.

"Oh, right," Skuld said, and waved her hand at him. The words disappeared, but Kei still looked upset. "I'm really sorry about that."

"There's no need to be so overprotective, Skuld," Belldandy said pleasantly, coming out of the kitchen with five steaming cups on a tray. "You know Kusanagi-san would never try something like that."

Keiichi nodded, and smiled at Belldandy as she sat next to him. After everything Kei had told him that he and Mizuho had been through, especially what was happening when they'd all first met, he knew that Kei wasn't going to do anything that would cause problems between him and Mizuho. That was why it was so funny to think of him trying to pull something with Belldandy.

"Will you two be coming with us to the races today?" Belldandy asked, looking to the married couple.

Mizuho nodded. "I'd like to see it," she said. "And it'd be better for us to stay together," she continued, lowering her gaze a little. "Just in case something happens."

Keiichi gave them a nervous smile. "It should be okay," he said, hoping he sounded reassuring. "There's going to be a lot of people around, I don't think he'd get much chance to try anything. Just stay with everyone, you should be all right."

Mizuho nodded, and she and Kei looked hopeful, but still worried. Keiichi hoped they wouldn't be like that all day; the races should be a good way to get their minds off of what had happened last night. Hopefully.

Just as Keiichi was about done with his tea, a great rumbling came from outside the temple. Kei and Mizuho looked surprised, but Keiichi didn't flinch. It sounded like Tamiya was driving the usual truck for carrying a motorcycle to the race, a giant pickup with a motor that had been customized so many times it could probably run on beer and cheap takeout. Keiichi finished his tea quickly, then got to his feet.

"Good luck today," Belldandy said pleasantly, standing along with him. "We'll be along as soon as everyone wakes up."

Keiichi grinned. "Don't worry about it, the races don't start until noon. We'll probably need that much time to fix the turning on the bike."

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Belldandy said. She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, then smiled and headed back into the kitchen.

Keiichi, doing his best not to blush bright red and failing miserably, waved goodbye to Skuld, Kei, and Mizuho, then hurried out of the temple. Tamiya was sitting in the truck, revving the engine, as Keiichi ran up to the huge blue pickup. The larger man rumbled out as soon as Keiichi arrived.

"Morisato!" he boomed.

"Morning," Keiichi said. "The bike's all ready, it's just--" Keiichi paused, as Tamiya had stopped right in front of him and was glowering down at him like he was about to see how many times he could fold Keiichi in half. "Um, Tamiya?"

"Where's da rest o' dem," Tamiya said, his voice lower than usual. Somehow, he seemed a lot scarier when he did that. "Your friends dat was at da school yesterday."

Keiichi put a hand to the back of his head and chuckled nervously. "Most everyone's still asleep," he said, trying not to sound worried. "Kei and Mizuho are up, but that's because of Skuld, and I still haven't seen Matagu and Peorth--"

From the look on Tamiya's face, Keiichi suddenly knew that he'd said the wrong thing.

"Dat - dat guy is wit' Miss Peorth?" Tamiya rumbled. Keiichi almost expected to see steam come out of his ears. "If he's layin' a hand on her, I'm gonna. . . ." The larger man trailed off, and for a second, Keiichi wondered if he was going to storm right into the temple and throw Matagu through a wall or something. Keiichi then realized that he wouldn't be able to hold Tamiya back, and quickly changed the subject.

"The bike's all ready! Skuld helped me on it, and she came up with something that works really well."

It took a long moment for Tamiya's expression to change, but eventually it looked like he was going to focus on the task at hand rather than heading in to give Matagu a piece of his mind and a few new bruises. They loaded the bike into the truck, and headed down the road to Nekomi.

Keiichi stared out the window as Tamiya drove, trying not to think too hard. He had the race to ride, and if he kept thinking about everything that was happening with his friends, he'd get distracted, and probably end up doing poorly. Just focus on the race, he told himself, and nodded. Besides, if the four goddesses and Mizuho couldn't take care of a problem, then what was there that he could do?

* * *

Agent #42 paced. He had been pacing for hours. Before that, he'd slept, as naturally he couldn't keep himself in prime condition without rest, even if he had just encountered difficulties with the first attempt at harnessing his quarry. But, well-rested and well-fed, he now had to plan. And so, he paced.

The Mata system was still fully functional, so tracking down Kazami and the Peorth woman wouldn't be difficult. The problem was that they now knew that he was coming. In a mission like this, surprise was paramount if the quarry was to be captured with any ease, and that element had effectively been lost. Also, knowing that the Peorth woman would recover from the effects of his weapon was valuable information, if discouraging.

However. . . .

"Mata!" Agent #42 said.

"MYAH?" the system said, appearing in the air next to him with its customary white blur.

"My clothing is fully recharged after last night's unfortunate incidents, is it not?"

"MYAH."

"Excellent. Take me to the control center, it's a priority one."

There was the moment of white disorientation as he was transported, and Agent #42 arrived in his ship's main control room. He strode over to the central chair, and began tapping commands into the computer. A second later, the tracking system came up, and he had Mata enter the data from last night. It didn't take the system long to track down the two quarries. They hadn't moved from last night.

Agent #42 threw his head back and laughed. "Too easy," he said aloud. "Almost too easy." He folded his hands behind his head, grinning. Naturally, they would expect him to strike at another time and place, so where better to show up again than where he'd first made his appearance? They would think themselves safe, and he could catch them completely unaware. All he had to do was prepare, and--

"MYAH!"

Agent #42 paused, and looked to the screen. The two quarries had disappeared. Just like that. It was as though they had never been there.

". . . Damn. Mata!"

"MYAH?"

He put a hand to his chin, thinking, then began to smile. Of course! It was so simple, how could he not have seen it earlier? "Mata, scan your visual memory, and get me profiles on all other people who were at that temple last night. Wherever they go, they'll take Kazami with them."

"MYAH!"

Agent #42 watched the small green transportation unit as its eyes flickered, and started to smile. This would be all too easy.

It didn't take the Mata unit long to locate registries. Being that the Galaxy Federation kept track of educational institutes on the planets they observed, the better to find suitable places for their people, locating the ones who had been at the temple was a simple task.

"Keiichi Morisato," Agent #42 said, tapping his fingers on his chin. "Student at Nekomi Tech, decent grades, member of the Motor Club. Belldandy, no last name, also Nekomi student, excellent grades, also member of the Motor Club." He grinned. "Mata! Scan the Nekomi institute for suitable places, it's a priority one. I'll be going in shortly."

"MYAH!"

* * *

Matagu blinked a few dozen times as the bizarre whirls of the Urd Interspatial Slide Technique faded from around him and his friends. Urd had stayed behind to take care of some kind of potion, but she'd sent the rest of them to Nekomi. He put a hand to his head, trying to steady himself, then looked around to make sure that everyone was there.

Peorth glomping onto his arm was the first good sign. He felt his face growing warm - some things never changed - then looked down at her. "Are you sure you're all right, after last night?"

"Why, Matagu-kun, are you suggesting something?" He started to blush more, and she let out a laugh. "I'm fine, dear boy, I simply needed to sleep."

"I'm glad to hear that," Belldandy said from behind them, and Matagu looked back over his shoulder to her and Skuld. "We should get to the racetrack, they'll be starting soon." She seemed to be nothing but smiles, as usual, and Matagu started to relax. Maybe there really wasn't anything to worry about. With everything that had happened to that agent guy last night, he probably wouldn't be coming back anytime soon.

"They hold the races on campus?" Kei asked as they started walking, looking curious.

"Some of them," Belldandy said with a nod. "If it's a special race, they have to go to a different course for it, or even make one. But Keiichi-san said this is just a drag race, so they have a track for that."

"It just all seems so different," Mizuho said, smiling a little but sounding kind of overwhelmed. "It's more like the schools for the Galaxy Federation, but there's so much more here." She smiled, and gestured vaguely.

"I'm sure all schools are the same, one way or another," Peorth said, pulling herself closer to Matagu. "Students and teachers, classes and rumors, all of that. Even ours was similar," she continued, looking to Belldandy, "when we were learning the ways of Yggdrasil."

Matagu chuckled, trying to imagine what kinds of classes goddesses would have to take, and what kind of rumors would spread around a computer that ran the world. He then looked over to Kei, remembering something. "Hey," he asked, "do you remember hearing that rumor that Herikawa was having an affair with Yamada-sensei?"

"There were rumors about that?" Kei asked, his eyes widening behind his glasses. He looked completely shocked, as did Mizuho. "That doesn't really seem like her," he said nervously.

"Sometimes things like that happen," Belldandy said, smiling brightly.

"Didn't look like anything was going on with them," Skuld said. She kept looking around, and had her hands in the pockets of her cargo pants.

"Ah, but they could have found a way to sneak off during our little trip if they'd wished," Peorth said, laughing. "Perhaps they're simply very good at concealing it. Not that I see the point in such a thing." She nudged Matagu, not all that gently, and he suddenly remembered her mention of 'hidey-holes' around the campus. He swallowed hard.

They made their way to the racetrack without any trouble, joining the crowds already there, filling up the stands. The group managed to find an open space in the bleachers from where they could see most of the track. Matagu and Peorth sat behind the others, gathered on the lower rows. Belldandy excused herself a moment later, saying she was going to find Keiichi to make sure everything was well before the race. Skuld stood up as well, then frowned and sat back down.

"Are you all right, Skuld?" Mizuho asked, looking concerned.

"I'm fine," Skuld said, though she did sound distracted. She still had her hands stuffed into her pockets. "Just waiting to see how the bike works."

Matagu was about to ask her why she was worried, since she'd put it together herself, but Peorth leaned into his lap and distracted him.

"You're sure," she whispered, leaning up until her lips brushed against his ear, "that you don't wish to sneak off somewhere? I assure you, they wouldn't know we were gone until it was too late." She gently bit his earlobe and tugged, and Matagu felt his entire body start to tingle.

He couldn't deny that he wanted to; he wasn't much of a liar and she'd probably be able to tell anyway. But at the same time, he didn't want to just leave his friends behind, or to leave the races before Keiichi even ran one. But once they'd started. . . .

"Let's see how the bike does first," Matagu whispered back to her, leaning close. "Keiichi might not need us to cheer for him if it's running well."

"You'd choose watching him over touching me?" Peorth asked, giving him a teasing look he knew well. She laughed as he stammered and tried to say something, then just winked at him, smirking. "Very well, _cheri_. But choose your time soon. It's still not nice to keep one such as I waiting."

The first race started soon, with two motorcycles lining up at the far end of the track. Matagu watched as the lights counted down from red to yellow to green, then was nearly thrown forward by the noise of the crowd. Everyone around him was roaring and cheering as the cycles sped down the track, throwing up clouds of smoke, streaking toward the finish line. He tried to let himself get caught up in the excitement, but it was over in a few seconds. He'd hardly had time to do more than blink.

As the riders were taken back to their pits, Mizuho turned to Skuld. "That's all they do?" she asked. "Just ride and see who's faster?" She looked almost confused, like she couldn't quite understand it.

"There's a lot more to it than that," Skuld said, looking thoughtful. "You have to make sure the bike's engine can handle that kind of speed over and over again, and then there's handling and balance, knowing when to shift and adjust for anything that happens on the track, and then. . . ."

Matagu leaned back, looked to Peorth and shrugged. Maybe it'd be better to just watch the race and see what happened when Keiichi finally rode.

A few races later, Skuld stood up and pointed, and Matagu saw Keiichi pulling a motorcycle up to the starting line. It didn't look that much different from the others ones; he didn't see what was special about it, so he asked Skuld.

"I made the engine from that agent's bike work with it!" Skuld beamed. "I had to improvise, but it all worked. As long as he doesn't forget to refuel it after every race, it'll be fine."

"What happens if he forgets?" Kei asked, looking over at her, a little nervous.

"It might melt," Skuld said with a shrug, "or it might blow up. I'm not sure. According to my calculations, it's more likely to melt, but I only had a few hours to work with it."

Matagu, Kei, and Mizuho shared a panicked look, then the lights beeped and the race was on. It took about a second and a half for Keiichi's bike to speed ahead of the other one, leaving it far, far behind. The crowd was silent for a moment, then started cheering even louder than before.

"It seems he has things well in hand," Peorth said to Matagu as the people cheered around them. Despite the noise, he could hear her quite easily, and he had a feeling that wasn't an accident. "Shall we, then, dear boy?"

With a quick hope that Keiichi would understand, Matagu nodded. Peorth reached up, took his face in her hands, and brought him down for a kiss. Matagu lost himself for a moment in the warm softness of her lips and the scent of roses, then felt something sweeping around him. The noise of the crowd faded away, and when he opened his eyes again, he found that they'd arrived in a small room with boxes stacked to the ceiling.

"The Peorth Insta-Trans Spell," she whispered, and winked at him again. "Always a success." She pulled him closer, but Matagu pulled back just a little.

"Wait," he said. "Where are we?"

Peorth laughed, rose petals floating around them both. "The Motor Club's second floor," she said, still giggling. "Where else would be totally empty, today of all days?"

Matagu blinked. She did have a point. "But what if someone does come here?" he asked.

"We'll tell them to go far, far away," Peorth said. She then pulled him close, held her lips to his, and pushed him against the wall. He didn't resist.

Just then, Matagu heard a noise from downstairs. To his surprise, Peorth stopped immediately, pulling herself away. She'd gone from teasing and affectionate to deadly serious. He gave her a curious look, and she held a finger to her lips.

"No one came in the door," she whispered, moving close to him. "That was a transport of some kind."

Matagu stiffened, and tried not to gasp. He glanced toward the staircase. "Can you get us out of here?" he whispered.

"One moment," Peorth whispered back. "I just--"

There was a strange blurring to the air, then a burst of white light. Matagu shut his eyes on reflex, then felt Peorth fall, and heard her hit the ground. He snapped his eyes open to see her laying at his feet. A second later, the air at the top of the stairway shimmered, and the agent stood there.

"You!" Matagu shouted, and threw himself at the man, fist outstretched.

"Not again," the other man sighed, and waved his hand. Matagu was thrown backward, circles wavering in the air, and he skidded across the floor. He shook his head violently to get rid of the dizziness, and saw the man approaching Peorth. "Full marks for bravery," the agent said, "but you're simply outmatched. Goodbye. Mata!" The man gave a mocking salute, and he and Peorth both faded in white haze.

"Peorth!" Matagu yelled, though in an instant he knew it was hopeless. He pounded his fists on the floor, then scrambled to his feet and darted down the stairs, nearly stumbling. He ran out of the clubhouse, then looked around. Okay, where was he? Or rather, where was the racetrack? He had to tell the others, but they'd just appeared on campus, how could he-

Suddenly, he felt a strange sensation of being in two places at once, and the familiar white shimmering surrounded him. When the whiteness faded, he found himself in what seemed to be a tent filled with all kinds of machine parts. Keiichi and Belldandy were there, as were Skuld and Kei. Kei looked frantic, ready to tear his hair out, and Skuld was clutching something blue in her hands.

"He has Peorth?" Belldandy asked as soon as Matagu was all the way there.

"He surprised us," Matagu said, hoping for a second that he wouldn't have to explain where they'd been and why they'd been gone. He then realized what was wrong with Kei. "Mizuho!"

"He got her too," Kei said, his teeth clenched. "We didn't even know he was there until she screamed. We have to go after him!"

Matagu blinked. "All of us?"

"Nope, just you two," Skuld said, looking to Matagu and Kei. "He'd know if oneesan or I came, and Keiichi still has to do the race."

"I'm sorry about that, guys," Keiichi said, looking both embarrassed and genuinely concerned. "Tamiya'll kill me if I just disappear."

"It's all right," Matagu said quickly. "How are we getting to him?"

"With this!" Skuld thrust forward the thing she was holding. Matagu and Kei both peered at it, and then looked at each other. This was odd, even for what Skuld usually came up with.

The thing had once been Mizuho's Marie unit, that was for sure. It still had the same flat face, though its eyes were rounder, and its strange little suit had turned bright blue. Also, it had some kind of green hair sprouting from the center of its forehead, running all the way back to the top of its pointed head. It looked at them, then put its stubby hands to its face and said, "Nu!"

". . . Nu?" Kei asked, suddenly looking unsure.

"Stop staring and take it!" Skuld yelled, shoving it into Kei's hands. "Oh, take these too!" She pulled some of her spherical Skuld Bombs out of her cargo pants, more than her pockets could have held, and thrust them at Matagu.

"You want me to blow his ship up?" Matagu asked, incredulous.

"No, I rigged these, just in case," Skuld said, looking proud of herself. "Just set them off by something that looks important, it'll set off a virus that'll make the ship teleport itself back to wherever its home base is. I worked it out with the Marie system, it should work! Oh, take this too." She shoved something that looked like a highly modified plastic dart gun into Matagu's other hand.

"Be careful, both of you," Belldandy said, folding her hands in front of herself. "I'd give you a spell to protect you, but he'd probably feel you coming."

Matagu looked to Kei, took a deep breath, and they both nodded. "All right," he said, "let's go get them back." He looked down at the Marie thingy. "Can you find Mizuho or Peorth?" he asked.

Marie's eyes spun around quickly, then snapped back into place. "Nu!"

Matagu paused. "What?"

"It means yes!" Kei just about shouted. "Marie, take us to them, it's a priority one!"

"Nu!"


	17. Part 3:5: The End Of The Matter

Onegai, Megami-Sama!

Part 3-5: The End of the Matter

When the whiteness faded, Matagu opened his eyes and found himself on an alien ship.

It took him a second to fully comprehend. For all the time he'd spent thinking about what it would be like to meet an alien, for the hours he'd spent looking at the stars and wondering if there was anyone else out there, he was now somewhere that he'd never thought he would be.

To his surprise, he found that it didn't really matter. He had to find Peorth.

The ship looked sort of like something out of a sci-fi movie - the walls were smooth and metallic, there were panels with some kind of display on them, and the floor was vibrating just a little, like there was an engine running somewhere close. He glanced back and forth quickly, hoping that the agent hadn't already spotted them, but no one was in sight.

Next to him, Kei was looking around, a determined look in his face. "It's not that much different from Mizuho's," he said.

"Mizuho has a spaceship?" Matagu asked, blinking at his friend. "Where does she keep it?"

"Over the lake," Kei said. "Marie, where's Mizuho?"

"And Peorth," Matagu added.

The blue thing put its stubby hands to the sides of its head, and its large eyes started spinning back and forth. The bizarre green hair on its head stood up, then fell, then stood again. After a moment, it said "Nu!" and pointed in two different directions. Kei cried out and shook it a little, and its eyes spun around, but it still pointed the same.

"Take us to whoever's closer!" Matagu said. "It's . . . what was it?"

"Priority one!" Kei exclaimed.

"Nu!" Marie held its arms out, and the shimmering white glow surrounded them all. There was the familiar feeling of fading out, then back in. Matagu looked around, and saw that they hadn't moved at all.

"Nu. . . ." Marie slumped on Kei's shoulder, and its eyes closed.

"What does that mean?" Matagu asked, trying to keep his voice from shaking. If they couldn't get to Peorth and Mizuho, then. . . . He tried very, very hard not to think about that.

"I don't know, maybe he just can't take us somewhere in the ship," Kei said, then hurried over to one of the displays on the wall. "I might be able to find out where we are."

"You know how to use this?" Matagu asked, his eyes wide. He went to Kei's side, and looked over his shoulder. The display looked like something he'd seen in an astronomy book, full of ellipses and circles and what looked like some kind of path going through all of it. It reminded him of a comet's orbit, or. . . .

Matagu peered closer, and recognized the mark at one end of the path. The blue and green circle had to be Earth. And that meant . . . he followed the path, and watched it head right toward another part of the galaxy, off someplace with a name he didn't know.

"We need to find them, now!" Matagu said. "He's got what he came for, so he's going to get out of here!"

"I'm trying!" Kei yelled. He tapped at something that looked sort of like a keyboard, and the display changed to a hologram of a forest with a lake in it. Kei tapped again, and what looked like some kind of map came up. "That's it!" He nudged Marie. "Can you tell where they are on here?"

The small blue thing raised its head, and its eyes got bigger, then smaller, like it was trying to focus. "Nu . . . nu!" Two glowing dots appeared on the map, in two different places.

Matagu grimaced. Just what they needed . . . he didn't really think that the agent would have put his prisoners together, but sticking them so far away from each other was a problem. He looked over at Kei. "Should we split up?"

"No," Kei said, shaking his head. "Let's just get them out of here." He pointed to one of the dots on the map. "This one's closer, and we can take these halls," he said, running his finger along the way. "Let's go!"

Kei took off at a run, and Matagu hurried after him, stuffing the Skuld Bombs into his pockets and jamming the odd gun she'd given him behind his belt. He tried not to think too much as he and Kei ran through the spaceship's hallways. He had the feeling that if he started to wonder what might happen if this didn't work, he'd just end up getting scared, or he'd get distracted and the agent would catch them. Just focus on Peorth, he told himself, and everything would be all right.

After all, he'd made a wish, and she was a goddess. She was his girlfriend, and nobody could end that but him, right? Surely someone trying to steal her away from him went against that. It had to. Could someone from another part of the galaxy go against a goddess?

He remembered Peorth crumpled on the futon after the agent had shot her with that blowdryer-thing, and ran harder.

They made their way through the smooth-walled halls as quickly as they could, and Matagu started looking around for the agent to show up. With everything that had happened over the past two days, shouldn't the agent have expected them to try something like this? Then again, Skuld had altered the Marie thingy. Maybe the agent didn't even know they were there. Seizing that hope, Matagu grinned. They could make it.

When they reached another of the display things, Kei stopped, breathing hard, and tapped at the keyboard again. The map popped up, and Kei nodded. "Almost there!" he said, and ran off again. Matagu dashed after him.

The next hall led them into a square room, with a few doors on the walls. Kei started checking numbers on the doors, then stopped at one. "This is it!" he said, then looked at the keypad next to the door. He then looked over at Matagu, a sheepish expression on his face.

Matagu's face fell. "You don't know how to open it?"

"Mizuho's ship doesn't have these. . . ."

* * *

Victory.

It was such a sweet word, really, suggesting so many different kinds of success. At the moment, Agent #42 was only concerned with one kind - his own.

Despite a few unfortunate setbacks, his mission had gone off quite well. With Kazami in a holding cell, and the Peorth woman under his watch, the trip back to the Galaxy Federation would likely be uneventful but rather pleasant. Of course, he would have to keep Kazami locked up. And this Peorth would recover from the effects of his weapon if he didn't use it on her every few minutes. But the Mata system was calculating the most expedient route back to the Federation's headquarters, so it would be a short trip. Just as well. After taking a day longer than anticipated, he would be glad to return and report that he had accomplished his mission.

He looked over to the Peorth woman, wondering just what it was about her that made her so special. A scan had revealed nothing technologically relevant about her, only that she was in excellent health and fully functional, aside from being unconscious. Perhaps he could adjust the weapon, so that he'd be able to talk to her without her being a threat. Then, he could find out just how she had been able to change her outfit so quickly, to say nothing of pulling plant matter out of seemingly nowhere.

Agent #42 made a mental note not to accept any further missions to the Sol system. If the past day was any indication, things just got too strange out here.

"Mata, have you finished the calculations yet?" he asked, spinning in his chair to face the navigation system.

"MYAH," the system responded, and a display viewscreen popped up over the bridge controls. Agent #42 looked it over, and nodded. "Very well. Chart the vectors and scan the system logs for incidents. Estimated time until departure?"

"MYAH."

"Excellent." He swung back around in his chair, looking to where the Peorth woman lay, her arms and legs bound in bands of force that all agents used to keep control of their quarries. While the bands were usually enough to keep the subject subdued, Agent #42 had seen his quarry revive herself before, and was not about to take that chance again.

"MYAH!"

"What is it, Mata?" he asked without turning around.

"MYAH. MYAH!"

"You can't be serious." Agent #42 spun around again and peered at the screen Mata was pointing to, then frowned. "An unknown intrusion in the holding cell? Which one - Kazami's?"

"MYAH."

Agent #42 frowned. This wasn't supposed to be happening. The cells were supposed to be inescapable from the inside, and there wasn't anyone else on the ship besides himself and his prisoners. Kazami hadn't had anything on her that would have allowed her to attempt an escape. "Mata, bring up cell number seven and the holding cell area on-screen."

The viewscreen's display split. On one half, Kazami was in her holding cell, laying on the small room's bench, arms wrapped around herself, her shoulders shaking. She appeared to be crying. Agent #42 reflected on her unfortunate state for a moment, then looked to the other half of the screen. Under normal circumstances, he wasn't accustomed to frowning, but it seemed to be happening with great regularity since he'd come to this planet. Definitely, no further missions in the Sol system.

"Mata, take me to the holding cells immediately," he said. "It's a priority one."

"MYAH!"

* * *

"Hurry up, Marie!" Kei said, just short of pounding his fists on the door.

"Nu. . . ."

"You sure it can open this?" Matagu asked. He kept looking toward the hall where they'd come in, just in case.

When Kei had asked Marie to open the cell lock, it had seemed like a desperate leap more than anything else. But the blue thing had gotten to work, and rows of numbers were running down through its eyes. However, the door was still closed. And with every second that passed by, Matagu felt more nervous.

He pulled the strange gun that Skuld had given him from behind his belt, just in case. Part of him wondered what it did . . . the rest of him thought about who'd made it and decided it was better not to ask. He leaned against the wall next to the door where Marie worked, looking back and forth quickly.

"I hope so," Kei said. "If not. . . ." He trailed off, sounding like he didn't want to finish the sentence. Matagu knew the feeling.

"Nu!" There was a loud beep as Marie finished, and the cell door slid open.

Matagu and Kei both looked inside. Mizuho was there, curled up on a bench and crying. Matagu managed a smile as Kei called out her name. Mizuho looked up, her eyes wide, then leaped into Kei's arms. Matagu was about to ask if she was all right, then saw her and Kei kissing and figured she was fine. He chuckled.

There was a familiar faint humming, and the sound of applause. Matagu whipped around to see the agent standing at the room's entrance, clapping slowly.

"How very noble of you," he said, sounding like some old movie villain. "Sadly, your efforts have been wasted. In only a few of this planet's minutes, this ship will be leaving, and you will be on it. All of you. If you thought--"

Matagu yelled "Shut up!", then pointed the gun at him and pulled the trigger.

There was a burst of pink light and smoke, and when it cleared, the agent was encased in what looked like a giant bubble. The look of surprise on his face was almost enough to make Matagu laugh. The agent said something, but no sound came out of the bubble. Matagu ran up to him, his fist ready again, and when he punched the bubble it started rolling back down the hallway, carrying the agent with it.

Matagu watched the agent roll away, his mouth hanging halfway open. It was better that he hadn't asked Skuld what the gun did, he thought; he wouldn't have believed it if she'd told him.

He looked back to Kei and Mizuho to see that they both looked surprised, though he could see relief on Kei's face as well. "That was different," he said lamely, then managed a grin.

Mizuho nodded, still holding Kei close. "I can't believe . . . I thought he was going to take me back. I didn't think I'd see any of you again."

"I couldn't let him take you," Kei said, looking up at her. "I couldn't lose you again."

At that moment, Matagu realized something. He plucked Marie out of the air, and looked down at the small blue thing. "Marie, send Kei and Mizuho back to Belldandy and the others," he said.

"What!" Kei looked at him like he was crazy, and Mizuho looked shocked. "We still have to get Peorth, we can't leave yet!"

"I can't," Matagu corrected him. He looked his friend in the eye, and smiled a little. "If something happens, I don't want you to get caught again." He shook his head as Kei protested again. "Marie! Priority one!"

"Nu!"

Matagu closed his eyes as his friends faded away. He took a deep breath, and steeled himself. They were all right; now he had to rescue Peorth. He chuckled a little at the idea of rescuing a goddess, then looked down at Marie. "Can you get me to Peorth?" The blue thing shook its head, then turned in his hand and pointed. Matagu nodded, and took off running.

The halls around him blended together as Matagu sped through them, focusing only on reaching Peorth. Marie pointed him through round rooms with many doors, past halls that looked like they went on for miles, and eventually into a large domed room with a view of a forest. Matagu paused, breathing hard. The view looked like what he'd seen when Kei had first messed around with the display, so it was probably what was around the ship. The room was filled with what looked like control panels, and Matagu made a mental note to put some of Skuld's bombs in here. Once he found Peorth.

"Nu!"

Matagu looked where Marie was pointing. "Peorth!"

She was there, sprawled on the floor near a large chair, bound hand and foot in something that glowed an odd shade of orange. Matagu ran over to her, and knelt at her side. He put a hand on her shoulder, shook her a few times. She didn't move. He muttered under his breath, then looked to Marie.

"Can you get us both out of here?"

"Not a chance."

Matagu whipped around, pointing the gun toward the voice, and fired. The bizarre pink beam bounced off of a blue glowing shield in front of the agent, who was standing at the room's entrance with his hands on his hips. Strands and globs of what looked like bubblegum were hanging from his strange suit, but he didn't seem to notice.

"I must say, for an average male of your species, you've proven to be quite an annoyance," the agent said, walking toward Matagu slowly, the shield moving along with him. "Your primitive planet's ways have caught me off guard before, but not this time, not at all. As I believe the expression goes on your world, you have no more cards to play."

Matagu frowned. This guy really did sound like he was in an old movie. He shook Peorth again, hoping that she'd wake up in time. Even if the gun had knocked her out, she could get them out once she woke up. She had to. She'd thrown roses around just after waking up last night, so she'd be able to do it again, right?

Peorth didn't move, didn't wake up. Matagu grimaced, and reached for the bombs in his pockets.

"Oh, by all means, make another attempt," the agent said, then laughed out loud. "It'll make for a grand story to share with my fellows. Mata!"

There was a familiar white shimmering to the air, and the large green navigation system that Matagu had seen in the temple last night appeared next to the agent. "MYAH?"

"Send the boy to a holding cell, and make sure that he can't escape."

"MY--"

Matagu shot the green thing.

The pink light wrapped around the flat-faced humanoid, trapping it in a sphere and sending it to the floor, where it bounced and rolled away. Matagu yanked two of Skuld's bombs out of his pocket, and hurled them at the control panel, then yelled, "Marie, get us out of here! Priority one!"

He wrapped his arms around Peorth as the white aura surrounded them, and just as they faded away, he heard her murmur his name.

* * *

The boy disappeared, and the strange things he'd thrown exploded.

Agent #42 dove for cover, and smacked into the Mata system. The strange pink bubble that surrounded it stuck to him. A moment later, the entire ship began to glow white, as though it was being transported. He froze. That wasn't supposed to happen. The ship wasn't made to withstand teleportation, and sending something as large as the ship over a great distance would lead to-

The entire ship shook, and the white glow faded away. Slowly, Agent #42 stood, and looked to the control panel. More alarms than he'd known his ship had were going off, signaling that every single system down to the plumbing and air conditioning had failed, broken, or possibly exploded. He frowned. Mata could repair the ship, though with this many problems, it would take a very long time. He would have to send a message to the Galaxy Federation's headquarters, and inform that due to the planet's residents having access to greater technology than he'd been informed, there would be a small delay in the mission.

It was then that he looked up at the viewscreen and realized where he was.

The main docks of the Galaxy Federation's central headquarters stretched out before him. Smoke was rising from somewhere nearby, and the viewscreen was showing everything at an odd angle. A moment later, his ship started to shake, and an incoming communication popped up in a corner of the main screen.

Whoever it was, they were angry that he'd shown up directly on top of their ship. While Agent #42 could understand, it wasn't his fault; he hadn't decided to teleport. He ignored the message and headed out of his ship, then stopped.

His commander was there at the end of the ramp, a very angry look on his face. "You," the larger man growled, "have a lot of explaining to do."

Agent #42 looked down at the pink gunk on his suit and the Mata unit that was stuck to his shoulder. He then looked back to his damaged ship, which held neither of his quarries. He lowered his head and sighed. It seemed things had gone horribly, horribly wrong.

* * *

Matagu faded back into the Motor Club's tent, several feet above the ground. He crashed down onto the concrete, still holding Peorth in his arms, then let out a groan. The goddess stirred, then slowly opened her eyes and looked at him.

"Matagu . . . kun?"

He let his breath out all at once. She was all right. They were safe, the agent was gone, and she was back with him. Matagu pulled her as close as he could, holding her head to his chest, utterly relieved.

A moment later, Peorth nudged him gently, and he pulled back and looked at her. She was smiling, though she looked tired. "You came for me?" she asked, quieter than usual.

"I had to," Matagu said. "I couldn't let him take you. He got Mizuho too, so Kei and I had to get you both, and Skuld did something to that Marie thing, so it could get us onto the ship. We found Mizuho, then I made them go back, so they wouldn't get caught again." He smiled at her, hardly able to believe his own tale. It seemed like something he'd just dreamed up.

"How wonderfully noble of you," Peorth said, though she was starting to smirk. "But I'd be surprised if you'd done any less, for a goddess such as myself."

Matagu laughed, and pulled her close again. If she was talking like that, she was definitely okay. She then gave him even less reason to doubt by putting her hands over his head and pulling him close, drawing him into a kiss that made his head spin. How she managed to wedge her leg between his when hers were bound, he wasn't sure, but he didn't want to break the kiss to find out.

A moment later, the tent's opening flap was pushed aside, and a giant shadow filled the entrance. Matagu and Peorth looked up to see Tamiya standing there, his eyes wide, looking like he wasn't sure if he should cry or start breaking things.

"You . . . I outta. . . ." The large man pounded one fist into his palm. Just as he started to walk toward them and Matagu started to fear for his life, Belldandy and the others ran into the tent.

It took a moment to convince Tamiya not to tear Matagu into a few dozen small pieces, and explaining why Peorth was bound hand and foot took even more work, but they managed to calm him down and get him out of the tent. By the time that was done, Keiichi had arrived, with news that the Motor Club had won the day's races. They cheered at the news, Kei and Mizuho held each other close, and Matagu had the feeling that all was right with the world.

The Motor Club's celebration went on long into the night. Matagu and the others managed to get away near the end, and found their way to a small hill on the edge of campus, to watch the fireworks that were being shot into the sky. He hadn't let go of Peorth since their return; it seemed that she might disappear again if she did. But she had neither faded away or protested the constant contact, and leaned against him as they all lay out on the grass.

"I think I could get to like this place," Matagu said, watching the bursts of color shooting across the sky.

Keiichi chuckled. "After everything that's happened, you still want to come here?"

"Oh, it's not usually like that," Belldandy said, her voice bright. "Some strange things happen, but they usually turn out for the better. I'm sure you'd do well here, Shido-san."

"Just as long as I can survive Tamiya," Matagu said, and laughed a little. He put an arm around Peorth, and she drummed her fingers on his chest. Yeah, he could come back here. As long as she was with him, he could be just about anywhere, and it'd be all right.

"What about you, Kusanagi-san?" Belldandy asked, looking to Kei.

Kei glanced at Mizuho, then grinned sheepishly. "I really don't know," he said, sounding nervous.

"If I could teach here, perhaps," Mizuho said. "Would it be so strange, at a college, for a teacher to be married to one of her students?" She smiled a little, but it seemed that she was as nervous about it as Kei was.

"Weirder things have happened here," Keiichi said. "But you've got time, right?"

Kei and Mizuho nodded, as did Matagu. Exams were a few months away, but they did have time. And for right now, he had everything that he needed. Good friends at his side, and his girlfriend in his arms . . . there really wasn't more that he could ask for.

Peorth leaned closer to him and whispered, "Shall we find another hiding place, dear boy, since we were so rudely interrupted last time?" She nipped at his earlobe, and Matagu felt his face go red. Some things, he thought as he looked up to the fireworks, never changed. Not that he would have it any other way.


End file.
